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5- 



639th c^ERO SQUADRON BOOK 

;; I ! ; X 

BEING <_A RECORD OF THE 
SQUADRON'S ACTIVITIES 
WITH BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL 
SKETCHES OF ITS MEMBERS 

« ) i:"i !a ? 



Organized September, 1917 

With A. E. R, January, 1918, to May, 1919 

Demobilized June, 1919 




PUBLISHED BY THE 
639th c/lERO SQUADRON 

19 2 



J 5 






DEDICATED 
TO THE MEMORY 
OF THOSE GALLANT MEM- 
BERS OF THE A. E. F. WHO LOST 
THEIRo LIVES IN FRANCE 
FIGHTING FOR cA 
PRINCIPLE 

Gift 

Publisher 
APR 14 IS2i 



FOREWORD 

It is with a great feeling of pride that I write the foreword to this book. The 6tyth 
Aero Squadron was a live, wideawake, thoroughly American organization. It was an organ- 
isation of splendid soldiers — energetic, industrious, gentlemanly, and, above all, loyal 

ll hen you enlisted, you expected to he assigned to a combatant organisation because 
you felt that a soldier's business was to fight. When developments indicated that there 
was other work than fighting, and just as important, and fate willed that you were to be 
placed in a more or less non-combatant organization, you maintained your seal and pur- 
pose to be useful with characteristic cheerfulness Your work as soldiers was mainly along 
the general lines <>\ your civilian occupations, and sometimes it was quite laborious and 
uninteresting work, lacking all the excitement and adventure of a fight It was all the more 
difficult, therefore, for you to maintain your enthusiasm and to put your hearts and best 
efforts into the doily grind of work thou if you hod had thrust upon you the strong incen- 
tive and spur of actual or impending participation in battle. You did your work -well, 
cheer) ally, and thoroughly, and your conduct at all times was such as to reflect credit on 
the . I mericau Arm v. 

Our sixteen months in France, living and working under emergency conditions, have 

lett upon us indelible impressions. Our wits have been sharpened ; we hare had a good 
chance to learn other men, whom to trust and whom to shun; our ideas hare been 
improved by observation of the life and customs of another nation and by close contact 
with a great war. Our experience will be of incalculable benefit to us in the future if 
the lessons learned are properly applied. It was a great experience, and fortunate we 
were to be permitted to participate. 

We are still young, and before each of us lies a life of great possibilities and great 
responsibilities. Never before has the country needed men of vour character so much as 
now. It is a big country and its problems are in comparison. Let's continue to give it 
our backing and moral support, suppress its maligners and internal enemies, and strengthen 
the foundation upon which it rests. 

I am glad you decided on a Squadron history. It is my hope that this book will keep 
fresh in your minds the incidents and friendships of your life in the Squadron, and it is my 
sincere wish that your futures will be crowded with happiness, success, and usefulness 

EMANUEL FRITZ, 

Captain, Air Service, 
Commanding 639th Aero Squadron. 



LEDERER, STREET C& ZEUS COMPANY 

Printers and Publishers 

Berkeley, Cal. 

192 



CONTENTS 



The Editorial Staff 7 

Deciding on a Squadron Book , 8 

Colonel Benedict to the 639th 10 

Our History 11 

Inception and Organization, Texas 11 

Garden City - 15 

En Route to France- 17 

Brest 20 

St. Maixent 21 

Ourches 27 

Amanty 31 

Chat illon-su i- Seine 33 

En Route Chatillon to Marsas - 55 

Marsas and Embarkation Camp - 58 

The U. S. A. Again 62 

Organization of the Squadron 64 

Who's Who 65 

Officers no 

Enlisted Men - - 67 

Sunny Texas ( Poem ) 98 

A Record for Speed - - 101 

Le Chemin de Fer d'Ourches (Poem) 99 

A Hair-Raising Experience 105 

My Impressions of the French People 105 

639th Tunnel ( Poem) 109 

Crime of the Recruiting Sergeant 117 

My First Ride in an Airplane - - 100 

An Apology for the Buck - 108 

Dust and Din (Poem) 109 

What to Do (Poem) 98 

The Story of Chatillon-sur-Seine 107 

The Understudy's Retrospects of the Supply Sergeant's Job 104 

Some of My K. P.'s 112 

Issue Day ( Poem ) 98 

A Baseball Trip 113 

The Last Two Days at Chatillon... 102 

Dear Hannah (a letter) 116 

The Mill (Poem) 115 

Farewell France ( Poem ) 105 

Take-offs and Crashes Ho 

Roster of Members and Addresses 121 

Finis : 127 




EDITORIAL STAFF 



C. W. Stock well 



EDITOR IX CHIEF 
T. F. Norton 

ASSOCIATE EDITORS 
I. B. Burns 

\KTIST 
N. Terminiello 



\\ . F. Galtes 



DECIDING ON A SQUADRON BOOK 



The Squadron smoker held in the- mess hall on 
Thursday, the 13th of February, proved to lie a dc- 
cided success and a real innovation in Squadron 
activities. In response to Norton's noon-day appeal, 
a large and representative assembly of Squadron 
members was present, considerably in advance of the 
hour stipulated for the inaugural ceremonies. 

\\ hether the attraction lay in the novelty of the 
occasion, or whether it was due to the fact that the 
"Bunch" had been slighted by Pete McArdle and his 
cohorts, is a matter of conjecture. However, it was 
very evident that everyone was accompanied by a 
keen appetite coupled to an inexhaustible supply of 
good spirits — some exceptionally good, evinced by the 
jocularity that prevailed throughout the entire shack. 

At 8:15, coffee, camouflaged from the usual bev- 
erage with beaucoup milk and sugar, was served with 
delicious sandwiches — as much of both as each one 
tin night he could comfortably stow away. Judging 
from the average capacities on this occasion, one 
could not he censured too severely for thinking ill of 
the regular evening chow and the Mess Sergeant re- 
sponsible lor it. In reality, it was no reflection on 
the regular evening repast, but a tribute to the efforts 
exerted by the Sergeant mi this particular occasion. 

After all present had well eaten, cigars (the very 
best obtainable) were passed around, while Milady 
Nicotine reigned supreme for some time. Even Willie 
Barrans ignored his usual conventionalities and in- 
dulged in a rare Havana ; rare, he avers, for reasons 
he doesn't dare utter in public. Nevertheless, Willie 
must be convinced that he is either not on intimate 
terms with Milady, or that his taste for the weed is 
perverted or still undeveloped, inasmuch as Milady's 
sworn devotees vouched for the fine quality of the 
smokes. 

Many came prepared in case the monniker applied 
to the blowout should prove erroneous; but these same 
lost no time in sinking their own supply of smokes 
when they saw what a live committee had provided 
for them. 

When the smoke screen had been laid and general 
satisfaction prevailed, John Burns, chairman pro-tern, 
owing to the "Top's" indisposition, arose and called 
'hi s,,ine of the "dark horses" of the Squadron to 
provide entertainment. What followed was a real 
treat and a revelation. Charles Smith, who for more 
than a year had deprived us by bis modesty of some 
real musical treats, took his place at the piano which 
Dad Lewis so kindly loaned for the occasion, and 
rendered popular smi^s, interspersed with just enough 
of the classical to make the affair highly appreciable. 
Sergeant Paine later played all the popular rags to 
the fullest approval of the crowd. 



If the crowd was surprised at Smith's ability, it was 
more than astonished when Venske, of pugilistic 
fame, assumed a position near the piano and in his 
sweet, full baritone rendered two of his popular bal- 
lads entitled, "I'm Tying the Leaves So They Won't 
Come Down," followed by the great hit of our child- 
hood days, "School Days." The applause accorded the 
"Battler" was deafening, but his modesty deprived the 
boys of another encore. 

Wolff, whose cognomen is in no way typical of his 
disposition, sang in bis usual splendid manner, accom- 
panied by Paine at the piano. Both were fully appre- 
ciated b_\ those present. 

Pete McArdle filled the next twenty minutes chock 
full of interest with his clever narrations and comic 
songs, which seem to claim augmented praise at each 
new hearing. 

Though troubled with a severe cold, Ranahan fol- 
lowed McArdle and was excused only when he had 
practically exhausted his extensive repertoire, so well 
were his offerings received by the boys. 

At this juncture, when enthusiasm had attained its 
highest pitch, "Honest John" took the floor and 
addressed the meeting, explaining the object of the pro- 
cedure, which remarks were carried on by "Mother." 

He informed the men in part that a Squadron I k 

had been decided upon, to be paid for from a fund 
the men might gather for that purpose. The Squadron 
members were privileged to exercise their own judg- 
ment in the selection of the men they considered most 
capable of producing the most satisfactory results in 
such a book. And this occasion was to be utilized to 
hold a popular election — the first in the history of 
the Squadron. It was 9:00 p. m. when the meeting 
had been called to order, and the business of electing 
an editor-in-chief was placed before the house. Here 
it was that the political spirit displayed itself, while 
the Smoker now assumed the aspect of an election 
"blowout" such as it is the wont to bold in "God's 
Country." 

Sergeant John B. Burns was nominated for chief 
editor and was compelled to accept the nomination 
in spite of bis earnest request to lie excused. Paul 
Byrne, John Hums and Norton were on the ballot 
for chief editor, the final official count indicating 
that Norton had been elected to the position. The 
ensuing twenty minutes were replete with heated and 
interesting discussion, wherein parliamentary law was 
very frequently referred to. As time for "lights 
out" approached, general eloquence increased, and it 
became evident that ten o'clock would find the elec- 
tion hardly half oxer. No time was lost in seeking 
a solution, so candles were very generously distrib- 
uted throughout the ball. The later the hour, the 



■gtfe 6 3 9TH AERO SQUADRON 



more length} became the Bashes of oratory. In the 
dim candle-glow the following nominees were an- 
nounced as the choice for associate editors: J. B. 
Burns, C. W. Stockwell, P. J. Byrne, W. J. Shannon, 
and W. F. Galtes. After a count of the ballots, 
entailing every precaution to assure fair play, John B. 
Burns, Chellis \V. Stockwell, and William F. Galtes 
were named as the selection of the Squadron for 
associate editors. 

The hilarious spirit of the crowd was in no way 
affected by a visit from the guard, Oscar Johnson, 
patrolling Post Xo. 1. Several suggestions for an all- 
night session followed his appeal for less noise from 
the Mess Hall. 



Sergeant McArdle was at all times willing to turn 
over his shop to the troopers for the night, but on 
second consideration it was deemed advisable to call 
the meeting adjourned and to repair to the hay-heap. 
• in a motion by Weisblum "that we quit," the meeting 
adjourned and the assembly filed out, taking as many 
of the Mess Sergeant's candles as they could get away 
with unobserved. 

The Smoker in itself was a treat and a great suc- 
cess, while the electoral feature was novel and thor- 
oughly appreciated by the men. So pleased were the 
boys with this smoker and so strong did they pull for 
a repetition of it, that all hoped to attend another. 

I. B. W. 




A PAPER PUBLISHED 
639 th AERO 



IH THE INTERESTS OF THE 
SQUADRON AE.F 



Vol. I, No. I 



OV ,tC77l'fc" SERVICE 



Price, One Franc 



MEMBERS OF SQUADRON 

BUSY LAYING PLANS 

FOR FUTURE 



LaJemon, WflJtJell. Murph> an. 

Others to resume intrrupteJ 

careers 



Sow that EttstMUics I ive 
an J Ure American Arraj ha* put '1 
ii- inuskc'smtdis picking up ilsn 
kits, member*, ol the Gttth . 
a (uudron are busy laying pljns 
i future. While <- H. Q. has 
yel iniorme I U9 the eigct dale t 
■leparlurc of tins squadron for 
seas, the men of Hie outfit u'elie 

i! frig no brt<rae$ at being ca 



for 

not 

f the 



" KEEP THE HUN BEATEN, " 

SAW LIEUTENANT FRITZ 

There Sould Be No Relaxing Of Effort With Peace Near 
Commanding Officer'* Message 



CoX'l \> \ i-omes inlo being in the bijjgcsl hour of tlie ltistor> of Ihc 
i niti ' Stales :■■ ui that records its greatest achievement Vou can well 
be nrood ol Hie fact ttiat your squadron lias played an important pari in this 




ALL RECORDS FOR 

PROMOTIONS SMASHE1 

DURING NOVEMBER 



Thirij-tliree advanced 

Over T»enl> Fn e 

New non-coms 



I In i-oslei of non ''"ins (rtok a bi^ 

boost ivithin Die squadron during [lie 

month of November, when 33 men 

i. eived.biglici rank Ainonglhehon- 

ors dished oul were -' 1st t:lass scr- 

-. while five o( i lie recipients 

inn '■ wear upon their right sleeve 

;ted three s trine*. Ten were* 



Facsimile of the First issue "i "Contacl 



10 ^e639TH AERO SQUADRON 

LIEUTENANT COLONEL BENEDICT TO THE 639TH 

(Reprinted from Contact, Jan. 1, 1919.) 

A /most a year ago today I met for the first time the 6jQth Aero Squadron under 
the command of Lieutenant Emanuel Fritz, at Garden City, N. Y. Then you were 
fresh from Kelly Field, Texas, atid as I look backward now, fresh in many other 
things pertaining to military work. Yet, though the training was lacking at that time, 
the spirit which teas going to make the 6jQth one of the best organizations in the A. 
E. F. was there. This was shown by the willingness and ardor with which you 
worked during the bitterly cold days and nights at the concentration camp. 

After traveling separate paths for some time, it was a pleasure for me to pud you 
again under my command. The old spirit to do your best is still there. Guard it 
carefully. Any organization is only as good as the spirit which imbues it. 

Many changes have taken place since the squadron was formed, all of which, I 
believe, have been changes for the better. I have no doubt that you are competent to 
perform any task which nuqht be assigned to an aero squadron. 'Fins is due not only 
to you. but also to your commander. Lieutenant Emanuel Fritz, who has done and 
done well all in his power to better the organization as a whole and the members of it 
individually. 

I wish to congratulate you, men of the 6jQth Aero Squadron and your com- 
mander, upon your efficient and faith/ul service while in the A. E. F., but above all 
for the good work you have done in making the Second Corps Aeronautical School 

what it is at present. 

CHARLES C. BENEDICT, 

Lieutenant Colonel, Air Service. 



We look upon Colonel Benedict as being one of us. August, 1918, while we were at Chatillon, that ( olonel, 
We first met him at Garden City, where the 639th was then Major, Benedict was again to lie with us, this 
made part of a provisional wing of eight squadrons. time in command of our Post, the Second Corps Aero- 
He was in command of this wing on its way to France nautical School. 

and until it was again separated at St. Maixent into its Colonel Benedict is a graduate of West Point and 
eight component units. All of this time he was carried a West Pointer through and through. As an aviator, 
on the rolls of the 639th as an attached member, and few are more proficient than he. lie is quiet hut 
never did its rolls bear a more distinguished name. observant, firm but fair, a man to he trusted and re- 
It was with the greatest joy that we learned in spected. 




Inception and Organization 



At 4:30 p. m. on the 30th day of August, 1917, the 
men that were to be formed into the 118th Aero 
Squadron the following day arrived at Kelly Field, 
South San Antonio, Texas. Fort Slocum, New York, 
was our starting point. There we recruits had been 
assembled from various places of enlistment. By far 
the larger number of men hailed from Xew York, 
with Xew England a close second. All of us had 
enlisted voluntarily and with great eagerness in answer 
to the country's call for "aviators." Yes, they told us 
we would be flying within a month. 

Upon our arrival at "Kelly," tired and hungry, after 
our four days' journey from Slocum, we were met by 
a sergeant and marched to Field Headquarters and 
lined up for inspection While standing there on the 
burning sand we received greetings from several sol- 
diers who had preceded us to the new aviation field 
by only a few weeks They took great pleasure in 
jesting the new "rookie" outfit, telling us of the num- 
bers who had been victims of the terrific heat, and 
how more were poisoned daily from the bites of the 
rattlesnakes that inhabited that Sahara-like region. 
But their stories were taken with a grain of salt. Soon 
a captain came on the scene and the Sergeant com- 
manded us to stand at attention. He gave us a careful 
chest and throat examination to determine whether or 
not anyone had contracted measles, mumps, or some- 
thing of a more serious nature during the journey. All 
of us were found to he in good health and were then 
turned over to another officer, who took us to a spot 
where it seemed agricultural specialists had been suc- 
cessful in the cultivation of at least weeds and cactus 
plants. As the sun was sinking" in the west we were 
informed that we must draw an iron cot and a single 
blanket apiece from the Post Supply Department. The 
blanket constituted our only bed linen for that evening. 
We were also told that this chosen spot was to be our 
home and that we must make the best of it. And we 
did. 

Scarcely had we drawn these things when a hungry 
member gave the "let's eat" cry. Small foraging par- 
ties were immediately formed. They set forth to see 
what could he obtained from the various kitchens and 



returned with good results. "Corn Willie," the same 
who later attained such fame ( ? ) in the A. E. F., was 
for the first time introduced to us. We also obtained 
some real good bread, "the staff of life." The stall' 
being considerably light, we could not lean upon it as 
heavily as we wished. Our blankets were then care- 
fully folded so as to make a sort of sack to put 
ourselves into. Many bad previously remarked how 
durable the beds were, and after placing ourselves upon 
the blackened springs the sentiment was general. Some 
of the men had a good night's rest, nevertheless, while 
others testified the following morning that the noise 
of the rattlers was too much to permit refreshing sleep. 

It was about eight o'clock the next morning that we 
were called to attention by our new "Commanding 
Officer," Private E. K. Sawyer. He organized us into 
a company, choosing men with previous military service 
to act as sergeants. The sergeants were: John 
("Bill") Paul, Frank Durdan, and Fred R. Bloom. 
Paul J. Byrne was to act as sergeant major, with 
Irving Weisblum as bis assistant. We also learned 
that we were to be known as the 118th Aero Supply 
Squadron, whatever that meant. The men were then 
put to work extracting weeds and cactus plants, in 
order to clear our camp site. After this task was 
completed we pitched our tents, and this, it must be 
mentioned, was a tiresome job under the burning Texas 
sun. At the close of the day, having erected twenty- 
two tents, enough for the entire squadron, we moved 
our beds inside. Bed sacks were issued to the men 
and filled with weeds of the finer kind, as the springs 
made quite an impression the evening before, and it 
was with much difficulty one could locate a soft spot. 

The following few days were spent in "policing" 
around our tents and making a respectable looking 
street. Tom Yohe displayed some talent in beautify- 
ing his tent by placing dainty little cactus plants and 
sea shells around the entrance which seemed to say 
"welcome." The intense heat bothered us considerably, 
particularly the first few days, and each morning at 
drill-call several men were excused from drill on the 
strength of the "bad shoe" excuse. During our short 
stay at Fort Slocum we were unable to procure shoes 
for all of the men. Several had, therefore, to continue 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



13 



wearing their civilian shoes; hence, "had shoes fall out" 
was a common command. 

There was an increase in the "bad shoe" epidemic 
when the supply tent received a quantity of aviation 
instruments — picks and shovels — for elementary training. 
Picks and shovels did not come as a surprise, because 
we perceived miniature implements of this type hung 
over several squadron headquarters. To many it 
seemed a fitting aviation insignia, and others were 
dumbfounded and in their next letters home excused 
themselves for not being able to take the family up for 
a ride, as they had originallj planned. Hard it seemed, 
but we went at it willingly, realizing that we were 
making our first sacrifices as soldiers of war. We 
realized, too, that, being among the first to enlist, we 
had to help construct the camps. 

Later, the daily work included four hours of infantry 
drill in addition to other work that was assigned to us. 
All this time we were in quarantine, but were allowed 
to visit the road at South San Antonio each evening 
to purchase apples, pears, watermelons, and other fruits 
from the Mexican peddlers. Many had no difficulty 
in cultivating a negro's appetite for the famous melon. 
The entertainments held about this time in the large 
Y. M. C. A. tent helped considerably in breaking up 
the monotony of quarantine evenings. The new- 118th 
Aero Squadron was, however, not lacking when it came 
to presenting talent, for with Hogan as a dancer, Ackle 
as a hypnotist, Patenaude as an impersonator, and Mul- 
len as a vocalist, we were "there." The three latter 
mentioned were, to our great regret, transferred later 
to other squadrons, but they have constantly corre- 
sponded with us, expressing their desire to be with us 
again. 

Now that all the men had received their full quota 
of inoculations and the sore arms had healed, we 
looked forward to getting aeroplane experience or 
orders for our departure overseas. After quarantine 
was lifted the "Top Kick" was kept busy each evening 
distributing passes to the city. Fifty were issued each 
night, with instructions that we must be in camp before 
eleven o'clock. It was a common sight in passing the 
best hotels and dining roms to see men of the squadron 
struggling with a large juicy steak or placing an order 
for a chicken dinner. The grill room of the St. 
Anthony Hotel w-as a favorite landmark, where some 
of us devoured many a "soup to nuts" course. Sunday, 
of course, was the day that afforded the most time and 
pleasure. As reveille was the only call answered on 
that day, we had the opportunity of visiting the San 
Jose and Santa Rosa churches, Breckenbridge Park, 
the historic Alamo, and other points of interest. The 
Buckhorn Saloon, where so many pairs of antlers and 
steers' horns were artistically displayed, will long be 
remembered — for the horns, of course. For playhouses, 
the Majestic seemed to have the best call, as this house 
always had a program of high-class vaudeville and 



moving pictures. Turner's Dance Hall and Parry's 
Rooi Garden had a strong appeal for the dancers of the 
squadron, and there we were formally introduced to 
Southern damsels, who unhesitatingly inquired, "Where 

\ i hi. ill from ?" 

Calls came in frequently for "details" of bookkeepers 
and truckdrivers, and when the non-commissioned 
officer in charge of the crowd was checking the men up, 
Varney, who was supply sergeant, knowing what the 
work would probably be, would quickly produce the 
picks and shovels. Six men were picked each day to 
do police work in the kitchen, such as washing pans, 
paring potatoes, and various other jobs of such nature. 
These men were automatically given the rank of K. P., 
and the job itself was a rank one in Texas, as it meant 
continuous work, especially during the sandstorms. 
More than one modest individual gave wax to rash cuss 
words when Texas started moving. 

The kitchen had a large canvas covering and was in 
charge of McGovern as acting mess sergeant. The 
mess he put out was what we termed "regulation," as 
we always knew what we would have for each meal — 
liver for breakfast, beans, pickles and lemonade for 
dinner, and stew for the evening meal. The beans 
were sometimes cooked, sometimes not, and often 
burned. It took Mac some weeks to teach (?) his 
understudies how to cook the beans as they were cooked 
in Boston, and we often wondered if Mac really knew 
himself. Since there were no tables, we sat on the 
ground, the non-commissioned officers always having 
a keen eye on us to see that sanitary regulations were 
complied with. 

Most of the guard duty at this post was done with 
wooden clubs for weapons; and whoever was assigned 
the post that took in the wood pile was suit to be always 
on the alert, because large rattlesnakes were supposed 
to dwell within and to make their appearance in the 
small hours of the morning. The first mail to arrive 
was tendered a cordial reception and when "Slim" 
Callahan, our mail orderly, shouted "mail call," the 
men dashed from the tents acclaiming him the most 
popular man in the squadron, "denial" Gene devel- 
oped a marksman's eye and had no trouble in throwing 
letters and papers to the right men in the impatient 
mob. 

On the 19th of September we were given a new 
Commanding Officer, and instead of ranking in the 
enlisted class he proved to be a Lieutenant. Our new 
C. O. was First Lieutenant Charles W. Marshall, who, 
during his stay, worked hard for our interests. 

As we were now well acquainted with the camp and 
its surroundings, it was a pleasure to visit friends from 
our home towns who had enlisted before us and were 
quartered in the wooden barracks and furnished with 
much better facilities for comfortable living. It was 
our ambition and desire to live in similar barracks. 
Lieutenant Marshall was of the same opinion and was 



12 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



successful in having our outfit removed to Barracks 
No. 33 on October 6, 1917. Everybody was happy that 
day, regardless of what his duties were. No sooner 
had we settled in our new homes than Dame Rumor 
called upon us in the form of a going-out message, 
which strengthened the feeling of good-fellowship that 
existed. It seemed unlikely that we were to leave, yet 
the rumor, although false, caused each one to he a trifle 
nervous. All of us were anxious to get hack North, 
in order to show the old folks and friends how we 
looked in O. D. uniforms; then to cross the sea and 
take our chances at whatever was allotted us as our hit 
in the greatest of all wars. 

The following were made non-commissioned officers 
on September 17, 1917: Sergeants, Paul J. Byrne, 
William I. I'aul, Fred R. Bloom, James A. McGovern, 
Edgar G. Varney, Edward J. Murphy, Thomas Durdan, 
and James P. Atwell ; Corporals, Louis Whittenborne, 
Irving Weisblum, Thomas F. Norton, William Brandt, 
and John B. Burns, 

About the 10th of October we drew our first pay 
from Uncle Sam and frequent trips to San Antonio 
were thus made possible. The conveyances most used 
were taxis operated by independent taxi companies; 
their cars were kept busy between the hours of 5:00 
p. m. and 11 :00 p. m. On the return trips the military 
police were always on the job, searching the men to 
see if they had any liquor with them. Unofficial orders 
were coming in daily that we were to leave for various 
places, such as Egypt, England, Russia, and France. 

On October 29th eighty men were transferred to 
various squadrons that left that day and the following 
day for Garden City, N. Y. This put a big hole into 
our squadron, and took many of our best men. Lieu- 
tenant Marshall was relieved from duty on the 10th of 
November, and a few days later the squadron was 
placed in command of Lieutenant 1. G C. Christie, 
Sig. R. C. It was evident that his aim was expressed 
by the saying, "Contentment brings results," and during 
his short stay with us he gained the affection and 
admiration of all. Major Claggett, who was in charge 
of eight squadrons (our squadron included), gave our 
new C. O., and the men, valuable instructions, bringing 
the squadron to a high standard of perfection. Major 
Claggett had his office in our headquarters. 

Thanksgiving arrived and with it came a turkey 
dinner with all the "fixins." The afternoon offered a 
football game between the men from Kelly Field and 
a team composed of men from Camp Travis, the new 
National Army Cantonment of the Southwestern sec- 
tion, located to the north of San Antonio. The game 
was attended by a large number from the squadron 
who were anxious to see "Ted" Smith's performance, 
our lone representative on the team. The game was 
exciting and was won by the Travis men at a score of 
six to five. Llpon our return to the barracks we found 
the cooks and K. P.s much fatigued after their stren- 



uous domestic efforts, hut not too tired to serve us a 
little chow. 

Two schools were opened for the purpose of instruc- 
tion, one being for non-commissioned officers, the other 
offering a course in the mechanics and eare of aero- 
planes and motors. The former was attended by the 
non-commissioned officers and the latter by forty men 
who were considered best adapted for motor work. 
Men in both classes made very good progress, with one 
exception — "Buck" Atwell, who attended the school 
for mechanics. He frankly told the commanding 
officer that it was the "foist" time he had attended 

3cl I ni twent} years, and that his "gray matter" did 

not grasp the points as quick!) as expected He wished 
to be excused, and was, his vacancy being filled b\ 
another "aviator." We had now been soldiers over two 
months and the signs pointed to anything but our 
training as pilots, as had been promised us upon 
enlistment. 

Lieutenant- Bagley, Burnett, and others were attached 
to the squadron for a short period, making a "study" 
of supply work. They had just been commissioned in 
the service, receiving their training at Kelly Field. 
Tins worked with us until given command of a squad- 
ron or some other permanent berth. While they were 
with us we had two fire calls. One of them came long 
before sunrise and was heard by few, while the other 
took place in the afternoon within the section occupied 
by tents and caused little damage. 

Among the men of the squadron who took and suc- 
cessful^ passed the examinations for entrance to 
((Ulcers' School were the following: Holley, Norton, 
Buchannon, Gregory, and Conron. Holley and Norton 
remained with the squadron, upon the advice of Lieu- 
tenant Christie, while the other three men were trans- 
ferred, a few days later, to the 84th Aero Squadron, 
and received their training at Kelly Field. On December 
13th, Sergeant James Smith and Private Roy Adams 
were transferred to a photographic detachment and left 
the following day for Garden City, there to embark- 
immediately for overseas duty. Simultaneously with 
the transfer of these two men came a "Great Norther," 
which struck the camp and played havoc particularly 
with the men who were occupying the tents. It visited 
us in the barracks, too, causing the sand to pile up in 
sheltered spots outside the barracks and make its way 
through the cracks in the buildings, covering everything 
in sight with "Texas confetti." 

The following days were clear and the bath-house 
and laundry stands were well patronized. As it was 
then close to Christmas, trips to town became more 
frequent and purchases of armadilla baskets, Indian 
rugs, pennants, and other appropriate gifts were made 
and forwarded to our homes. Mail orderlies had larger 
sacks to bring to us, especially to those who had not 
informed relatives and friends that we were to leave 
soon for France. With the advent of Christmas it 



t?fe 6 3 9TH AERO SQUADRON 



15 




was hard to determine whether we 'would eat our holi- 
day dinner in the Southern camp or on the train, but 
we decided to have a turkey dinner anyway. At the 
same time, we learned that we were to lose our popular 
C. O., Lieutenant Christie. On the holiday morning 
Hogan, who was mess sergeant, gave us a hearty 
breakfast of steak, potatoes, and onions. But few of 
the "preparedness advocates" were absent from this 
meal, as it became known that the dinner was be a 
hummer. At noon, when everybody was "sitting 
pretty" at the dinner table, Lieutenant Christie and 
Lieutenant Emanuel Fritz, our commanding officer 
to he, entered the mess hall. Upon their entrance 
everyone snapped to attention, hut had only risen from 
their places when the command "rest" was given by 
Lieutenant Christie, who at the same time stated that 
all military formalities would be dispensed with during 
the dinner hour. The K. P. force and cooks got busy 
and served a dinner that we will long remember, both 
for its excellent quality and its generous quantity — 
turkey, cranberries, pie, ice cream, and everything — 
oh, boy! At the close, and just about the time each 
bad his Havana going in good style, Lieutenant Christie 
informed us that he was to be transferred and, in brief, 
stated his regrets at not being able to have the pleasure 
of making the trip overseas with us. He also gave the 
squadron a good recommendation when he said that 
no one bad imposed upon bis leniency and that it had 
nut been necessary for him to "tighten up" at any time. 
He then introduced our new commanding officer, 
Lieutenant Emanuel Fritz, F. A. R. C. Upon being 
introduced. Lieutenant Fritz made a brief after-dinner 
speech, and "boosted" the squadron of which he was 
about to take command. He also stated that he would 
carry out the policies of Lieutenant Christie and said 
he knew that he had the best mess sergeant in the 
service, which remark brought cheers and laughter, 
while Hogan, who was resting bis elbows on the 
bench in the kitchen, bashfully smiled. Before his 
departure, Lieutenant Christie was presented with a 
silver cigarette case. 

It was an open secret that orders for overseas were 
daily expected, and in preparation for it the following 
additional officers were assigned for duty on December 
27: Lieutenant Hansell as Supply Officer and Lieu- 
tenant Gillett as Adjutant ; also, Lieutenants Little, 



Lewis, Ruggles, Hall, Dove, Snow, Ross, and Birkbead. 
All the new officers were from the Infantry Reserve 
Corps. That same day orders were received, a final 
inspection was held, and we were ready to leave. The 
big day had come. We were to leave the next day, 
December 28. Orders were to proceed to the Aviation 
< loncentration Camp at Garden City, Long Island, X. Y., 
there to await the first available transport for overseas. 
We traveled by rail, accompanied by the 24th and 25th 
Aero Squadrons, each squadron having a mess (bag- 
gage ) car of its own. Texas bade us a grudging 
farewell, for she did her best to blow up a good strong 
sand storm, which reminded us of the earlier days 
when we were obliged to cover our food with our hats 
to keep the sand away. The trip to Garden City took 
six long days, in cars that had been discarded after a 
number of years of service for the Pullman Company. 
One of the tourist sleeping cars, in particular, was very 
uncomfortable, as the beating system was frozen, and 
all along the line there seemed to be one obstacle after 
another. In every town en route — Xew Orleans, 
Montgomery, Atlanta, Richmond, Baltimore, etc. — we 
encountered the coldest weather the oldest inhabitants 
could remember. 

Garden City 

We stopped at Houston, Xew Orleans, Montgomery, 
Ala., and Athens, Ga., for short periods of exercise. 
In each of these cities we were tendered only a mild 
reception ; it seemed that troops on their way to 
embarkation ports paraded these same street so fre- 
quently that the native became accustomed to it. 
Occasional shouts of "Get the Kaiser!" and "Give him 
Hell !" were heard all along the line. Knowing that 
we were soon to become members of the American 
Expeditionary Forces, these exclamations made our 
blood run warm, and each soldier marched with a 
firmer step and clearly showed his belief in the 
seriousness of the task that lay before him. Our mess 
car caught fire outside of Washington, but the fire was 
easily extinguished with only moderate damage. On 
the 2nd of January at 8:30 p. m. we drew into the 
Philadelphia Station, where we were met by several 
Red Cross Canteen workers, who distributed sand- 
wiches, coffee, cigarettes, and post cards. The Red 
Cross won our hearts that night. Long Island City 




OUR LAST MERL I M 

GARDEN CIT/ 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



17 



was readied the following afternoon by ferry from 
Jersej City, and there a similar treat was shared. 
The same evening we arrived at our new camp near 
Garden City, Long Island, with the mercury hovering 
around the zero mark. The entire journey was char- 
acterized by the most intense eold and bodily discom- 
fort. The railroads had just been taken over by the 
Federal Government and the employees en route seemed 
to show their disfavor by giving as little service as 
possible. In some of the larger cities, as much as six 
hours were lost in an endeavor to thaw out and repair 
the pipes of the worn-out heating sytsem. 

The Long Island Railroad took us right into camp 
and we had but a short distance to march to barracks 
Xo. 22, only recently completed. Here we were greeted 



this respect and returned in time to leave with lis, 
while others were S. ( ). I.., transferred to the Casuals 
and left behind. 

Orders for transportation overseas arrived on Jan- 
uary 10th and all were anxious to he moving. Some of 
the new officers who came to Garden City with us were 
transferred to other organizations. They were Lieu- 
tenants Little, Lewis, Hall, Dove, Ross, and Birkhead. 
Captain Robert J. Souther was assigned as medical 
officer, 

On the morning of the 13th of January we arose at 
four o'clock and started out for the train that would 
carry us to the boat. No one was accused of over- 
eating, as the morning menu consisted of a piece of 
cake and an orange. Xo directions were given, hut the 








En Route Texas to Garden City. 



with steam heat, cots, and mattresses; lor comfort, 
this couldn't he beat The busiest man. instead of 
being the supply sergeant, as is usually the case when 
a squadron moves, was on this occasion the mail 
orderly, for he played Santa Clans by emptying five 
sacks filled with letters, presents, and Xmas cards 
Telephone and telegraph wires were kept busy during 
our tin-day stay at this concentration camp, as passes 
to leave camp were forbidden. Many of the boys had 
friends and relatives call upon them to hid them a last 
fond farewell before crossing the submarine-infested 
sea. The work at Garden City was mainly that of 
completing records, making passenger lists, and getting 
supplies and clothing that could not he obtained in 
Texas; also, doing our bit to keep the power plant 
going (shoveling coal in such weather was anything 
but pleasant). Several men who were taken sick on 
the train were transferred out of the squadron as not 
being able to recover enough to make the journey 
overseas with us. A few, also, living in nearby cities 
and towns, were determined to disregard Post Orders 
and enjoy a "French leave." Some were fortunate in 



rule seemed general that the orange should he eaten 
first, and it was. Captain Souther, our medical officer, 
and Lieutenant Fritz led the parade afoot toward the 
station, following an auto which served as a guide. 
The trip to the station was our last in cold weather. 
"Sunny" France could certainly not he that cold. The 
Red Cross wool was very useful that day. However, 
in spite of this, a few fro/en ears, noses, and fingers 
were reported. 

En Route to France 
We reached Hoboken at nine o'clock and remained 
on the fern- while the baggage of our squadron and 
that of other squadrons was put on hoard. After all 
baggage had been loaded, the men of other squadrons 
marched up the gangplank and were assigned their 
places. It was not until four o'clock that afternoon 
that the ferry was cleared of baggage and troops. 
Being the last to go aboard, the time waiting for our 
turn afforded us ample opportunity to think of the 
future and of the pleasant land of Liberty we were 
to leave and fight for. Our lives, in our minds, depre- 
ciated about ninety per cent in value, and we felt that 




OUR FIRST /NTROOUCTIOM 

- 40 HOMrtES 
WONDFRiNCS^ q CHEVE/lUX 
VERY 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



19 



if we were among the ones to return victoriously to 

the States we would lie extremely fortunate. The 
eagerness we entertained to get into the fight was, 
however, intermingled with honest anxiety, and we took 
many last looks at the sights that surrounded us. 

( )ur transport proved to he the U. S. S. Agamemnon, 
formerly the North German Lloyd liner Kaiser Wil- 
helm II, an immense vessel indeed. Although we were 
the last to go ahoard, our quarters were among the 
best. Sergeants first-class were given staterooms, 
while the rest of the Squadron was fortunate in having 
upper compartments. Some of us were quartered in 
the mess hall and took care of the mess hall and line, 
receiving extra food as our compensation. We lined 
up for our first chow at 4:15 p. m. and were served 
"navy beans," which surely tasted good, as this was 
our first meal since early morning. Eating with us 
were seven other squadrons, casual companies, a large 
number of civilian employees, and about 900 colored 
troopers — about 5000 in all. Norton's "let's go" was 
heard for the first time, keeping the mess line in 
motion so as to have everything clear lor an enter- 
tainment with the squadron Victrola after supper for 
those who were quartered in the mess hall. 

Seven squadrons accompanied us on our ship, num- 
bered 121-127, inclusive, and the entire group was com- 
manded by Major C. C. Benedict, J. M. A., carried on 
our squadron rolls for transportation. The trip across 
was not as eventful as we had expected, for we all had 
dreams of seeing the gunners popping away at sub- 
marines now and then. This did not take place; there 
was not even target practice. Boat drill and mess 
took up most of the entire trip. The call for boat 
drill sounded at nine in the morning and at two in 
the afternoon. Each section was assigned a certain 
exit and we marched up to the life boats or rafts 
wearing our overcoats, life preservers, and having our 
canteens full of water. We remained at our station for 
about two hours at each drill and during this time the 
boat was given a thorough cleaning. 

A number of entertainments were given in the mess 
hall (luring the trip, each with varied bills. Witteborn 
managed the boxers, the sailors gave the movies with 
their broken films, and there were quartets and colored 
battle royals. These vaudeville shows made the long 
evening hours more pleasant, especially since no one 
was permitted outside on the decks after dark. The 
first few days out the weather was splendid and it was 
a pleasure to get out on the decks and gaze off toward 
the horizon, wearing all the time those cute little sofa 
pillows known as life preservers. On Friday evening 
a severe storm sprang up and what happened is better 
told by Captain Morgan, U. S. N., Commander of the 
Agamemnon, in the following extract from a New- 
York newspaper: 

"On the next trip across we defied all super- 
stitions of the sea, but never again. We started 



away from Hoboken on the 13th of January, 
191S. In addition to our crew of 56 officers and 
1,137 men, we earned about 3,000 troops, 1(1(1 
casual officers and 1411 civilian employees. 

"The day before we cleared, the Agamemnon 
listed a bit at her dock and water rushed into 
the hold through a couple of port holes, but 
quick work with the pumps prevented any seri- 
ous results. On the first day out we encoun- 
tered fresh breezes and night fall saw the 
barometer falling fast. Inning the next two 
days the storm increased, and to make matters 
more uncomfortable the surgeon reported that 
scarlet fever had broken out among the men of 
the 122nd Aero Squadron, which came from 
Minneola. 

"At 9 :00 p. m., on the 18th, the alarm sounded, 
man overboard ! A mountainous sea was run- 
ning. I went out onto the bridge at once. It was 
an impossibility to attempt to launch a boat, so 
I ordered the ship turned about in the forlorn 
hope that the man might lie washed back onto 
the deck again by the high seas. As the Aga- 
memnon turned about she rolled to 30 degrees. 
The heavy seas jammed the telemotor hard to 
port, and the big vessel was without steering 
apparatus. 

"Waves broke clear over the top deck of the 
steamer and all the deck glasses were smashed 
in no time. Life boats were splintered and 
many of them were carried away. Time after 
time we managed to 'jockey' the ship out of 
the trough, but within a few minutes she was 
back there again, rolling harder than ever. 

"The troops were huddled in the dark recesses 
below decks, regulations forbidding any lights, 
and too much cannot be said regarding the per- 
sonal bravery of those men. 

"At 1 :45 in the morning the engineers suc- 
ceeded in adjusting the telemotor and we all 
thought the danger was over. But we had not 
reckoned with the sea. The Agamemnon had 
been rolling steadily during the time repairs 
were being made, and apparently not wanting to 
be cheated of its prey the sea seemed to increase 
in its fury. A smashing big wave struck us, and 
over we went to the starboard to the almost 
unbelievable roll of 40 degrees. 

"When the indicator pointed to 40 degrees 
every one turned white. Word was rushed to 
the wireless room of our position, so that it the 
worst came the world would at least know where 
we foundered. In a few seconds the vessel with 
a seemingly human effort began to go to port 
again, and then it was that we got the maximum 
roll of 43 degrees. I guess everybody thought 
it was all over, but luckily just at that time we 



20 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



were . il > 1 1 ■ to maneuvre out of the trough and, 

with the steering gear fixed, went safely on our 
way." 

While the ship rocked, the negroes prayed fervently, 
making promises siicli as, "Oh, Lord 1 il" you'll make 
this ship sail straight 1 shure won't shout no more 
craps," and. "Boys, I'se g'wan to write ma wife an' 
tell her to get annuder nigger." They also sang a 
few hymns, repeating each one several times until 
it seemed they would tire of it themselves. These 
hymns, although not at all musical, gave lis merri- 
ment and were the means of many not realizing the 
seriousness of the situation. 

When the ship again sailed smoothly, we labored 
for a short time repairing the tallies and broken par- 
titions. The following afternoon we met the U. S. 
Battleship Montana and the U. S. Transports Mt. 
Vernon and Matawascott. The Mt. Vernon, form- 
erly the German liner Kronprinzessin Cecilie, was a 
sister ship of the Agamemnon and was of the same 
size, capable of making approximately the same 
speed. The sight of these ships and the cruiser dis- 
persed the gloom ol our thus far lonesome trip since 
leaving Hoboken. 

On Monday morning, five well camouflaged destroy- 
ers appeared, coming From different directions and 
struggling valianth with the heavy waves. Joy pre- 
vailed, as we not onl\ had company now, hut protec- 
tion. They kept in the form of an irregular boundary 
for the three transports, zigzagging in and out all the 
time When they had us well covered, the Cruiser 
Montana felt that her services were no longer required 
and started hack to escort others to France. The 
Matawascott was left in the rear with two destroyers 
as the Agamemnon and Mt. Vernon hurst ahead at 
lull speed with three destroyers as escorts, which 
remained with us until we entered the port of Brest. 

Brest, France 

Fortunately, the morning of January _'4th, as we 
entered the harbor, was clear and beautiful, and we 
had a good opportunity to view the beautiful hay and 
adjacent bills of Brittany. Everybody heaved a sigh 
of relief that he was once more within sight of land. 
Accompanied by our sister ship the Mt. Vernon, we 
proceeded up the harbor. As we sailed along, numer- 
ous things of interest took up our attention, such as 
an occasional French submarine traveling on the sur- 
face of the water, queerly camouflaged destroyers, 
observation balloons, or a hydroplane out on scout 
duty passing over us. \\'e made our way to positions 
just opposite the city and there dropped anchor. 

All had hopes of landing at once, but on that point 
we wire doomed to disappointment, as four long days 
were to pass before we were to set foot on "Mother 
Earth." However, more freedom was allowed us than 
we had had when under steam, and while waiting for 
our turn to go ashore we were afforded much amuse- 



ment watching a small French hoy paddling alongside 
the ship. Mis boat was a heavy, awkward rowboat ol 
a type used mostly by fishermen about the harbor. At 
one end of it be would gleefully dance, catching pack- 
ages of cookies, coins, or whatever the soldiers aboard 
ship might throw to him. Some of the donations 
would land in the water hut lie quickly paddled about 
and recovered them. Coal and water were taken on 
from small harbor boats manned by oddly dressed 
sailors, none of whom could understand English, and 
hut few of our number were able to grasp what they 
had to say. They were not at all slow in making us 
understand that they were more than willing to receive 
all donations of tobacco that we might give them. In 
fact, a canteen full of fresh water, of which they had 
plenty on hoard and we none, called for a plentiful 
supply of "Tahac" in return. 

Among other things ol daily interest was the captive 
observation balloon allowed to float over the city dur- 
ing the day. Often as we stood upon the deck and 
looked out upon the high walls that surrounded the 
city we wondered if we would get a chance to see 
what sort of life the people lived who were beyond 
the walls. Here, I might say that a few were privi- 
leged to that pleasure hut the majority enjoyed con- 
finement on shipboard. The lew who did go ashore 
went there on baggage details or on other duties ill 
preparation for the landing of the entire squadron, and 
while ashore managed to see some of the French 
people and their methods of living. 

At last our transportation orders were received and 
on the _'7th all troops on hoard were unloaded, with 
the exception of the Aero Squadrons. Much enjoy- 
ment was experienced in watching our colored friends 
as they disembarked. They had been the life of the 
trip and it was with regret that we saw them scramble 
cautiously down the gangplank and pack themselves, 
with their baggage, upon the barge which was to carry 
them ashore. They were a merry lot and all swore 
that they wanted just one more trip across the pond, 
and then "never again," 

Early the following morning, we were notified to 
make ready to land. All was confusion as we fixed 
our packs, took down our bunks, and policed our sec- 
tion. At the appointed hour, every one of us was on 
deck awaiting our turn to pass down the plank from 
the ship that had brought us safely so many miles 
across the deep. At last, all the Aero Squadrons were 
aboard the "Limy" barge and we left the side of the 
Agamemnon, passed the Mt. Vernon and arrived at the 
landing quay. Many queer sights greeted us as we 
passed along the waterfront. Strange looking ships 
and stranger looking people confronted us. Among 
them we saw many German prisoners working about 
the docks loading freight upon peculiar and tiny 
French freight ears. 

\s we set foot upon the earth, we once more 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



21 



thanked God that this privilege had been granted us, 

and with light hearts marched away toward the city. 
After leaving the docks our waj led up a steep grade, 
walled high on either side, and, loaded with our heavy 
packs as we were, the climb to the city was far from 
a pleasure trip. Onr march was not of long duration, 
for upon reaching the upper level where the city 
proper was located, a "column right" was given and 
the squadron passed through the gate into the railroad 
yard where we were given our first real broadside 
view of the railway coaches within which soldiers are 
most accustomed to travel in France. A complete 
train of these magnificent side-door "pullmans" stood 
at attention, awaiting our entry. Each bore the famil- 
iar sign "40 Hommes on 8 Cheveaux," meaning that 
each car was capable of transporting 40 human beings 
or 8 animals. At first sight we looked upon these 
carriages in dismay, wondering if the United States 
Government expected us good American citizens to 
travel in such affair-- as these; but we were not left 
long in, doubt on that score, for about 30 men were 
assigned to each vehicle and were told to await fur- 
ther orders. Each man dropped bis equipment in the 
vicinity of the car in which be was about to travel, 
and thereupon the men gathered in groups to talk the 
situation over. 

1 lunger and thirst were among our first thoughts. 
Water happened to be plentiful and soon each man 
bad his canteen filled, but food was another propo- 
sition. One fellow managed to locate a bakery where 
he made known that he desired a loaf of bread. In 
payment he threw down a good American dollar bill, 
but received no change. Thinking this price rather 
high, he said nothing, but walked out wondering if 
prices for all articles in France were in proportion. 
Since then he has received considerable education in 
regard to such matters. 

Food in any quantity was not obtainable at the sta- 
tion, but some good American Red Cross nurses 
showered us with apples from over the wall on the 
street above, and also lightened our appetites by allow- 
ing us to feast our eyes on some real American girls 
doing their bit in the war. Soon after mid-day we 
were loaded upon the cars with our rations of hard- 
tack, tomatoes, corn willie, beans, and a little jam. 
The distribution of these articles was in charge oi 
the mess sergeant, who endeavored to place equal 
quantities of each article in every car; but as a matter 
of fact some cars fared better on jam than did others 
Nevertheless, his intentions were good, although the 
distribution could be criticized somewhat, also his con- 
dition as to equilibrium. 

It was while waiting here for the train's departure 
that many of the fellows made their first acquaintance 
with the "Yin" sisters — Blanc et Rouge. Having heard 
much of their presence and popularity throughout 
France, many of the men made haste to form the 



friendship. Our commanding officer, however, was 
averse to having the acquaintaance made at that time, 
but even bis watch fid eye was not sufficient to keep 
the sisters away. In a few instances members were 
made overjoyful by their presence and close associa- 
tion. 

At 2:00 p. m. the miniature locomotive gave vent 
to its shrill whistle and we were off, but our destina- 
tion was kept secret. For some time the report had 
been current that the squadron had been assigned to 
duty in Egypt, and now as we traveled southward the 
report gathered strength that we were headed for the 
Mediterranean, then to cross into Egypt. The train 
rolled on till dark and then every man began to make 
preparations for sleeping, though no very extensive 
preparations were necessary as there was but one 
thing to do, and that was to lie down upon the floor 
and use another sleeper, or possibly a case of hardtack, 
for a pillow. 

Few of us will ever forget our first night's ride in 
a box ear bouncing about over the rails like a cork 
in a heavy sea. Many times w r e expected the cars to 
leave the tracks at the curves, but each time they 
would right themselves and roll along evenly once 
more. The night finally passed and at the first streak 
of daylight all were up, brushing the straw and dirt 
from their clothing. Early in the morning, we pulled 
into Nantes, where all were unloaded and given our 
first taste of French "cafe noir." far from tasty, but 
acceptable after the night's ride. 

After a short stop we entered the cars once more 
and continued our trip southward. The day was fine 
and many things of interest were to be seen from our 
position in the doorways and windows of the cars. 
Late in the afternoon we received word that we were 
approaching our journey's end and wotdd probably 
arrive at our destination that evening. This put an 
end to our hopes of going to Egypt, but nevertheless 
the prospects of quitting the train that night were 
welcomed. We had left Brest with three days' rations, 
and now that the trip was nearly at an end and half 
of the food was still left, everybody filled up to capac- 
ity. St. Maixent, our destination, was reached the 
evening of January 29th, 

St. Maixent 
By the time all had left the cars everything was 
in complete darkness The Squadron lined up beside 
the train by the light of a single lantern, and at a 
signal from the commanding officer we executed 
"squads right" and marched down into the town. The 
streets were very crooked until we finally passed 
through a stone archway into the courtyard of what 
was later found to be the Conclaux Barracks. Our 
stay here was short, for the command to bait had 
hardly been given before orders to march again were 
issued and we passed out of the courtyard back into 
the crooked streets. After a short march we again 




C?KT 




^SZS^MS^^3^MEBS^E^SnSZ^ 3ZSZ^ZSSS. 



EHROUTE TO OURCHES Ori BOARD THE FRFIM CfllS "TOOT 5WE£T"lOC^ l 



W> 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



23 



entered a stone archway into the walled courtyard of 
the Preshytere Barracks, now to become our home For 
a period of four weeks. The courtyard included two 
large three-story stone huildings. The 122nd Squad- 
ron was assigned to the lower floor and the 118th to 
the upper. The second was already occupied by the 
106th, later called the 800th. To this sky parlor we 
quickly retired by way of a staircase with many twists 
and turns. We found two large vacant rooms within 
which the one hundred and fifty of us were to make 
ourselves comfortable. In short order candles threw 
their light upon the emptiness, our equipment was 
quickly thrown upon the floor and each man tried to 
find room to spread his blankets. 

In the course of an hour or so, the cooks of the 
squadrons that had been here several weeks sent us 
word that the)' had prepared us a sumptuous meal, 
consisting of "slum." There was a rush for the court- 
yard with mess-kits, but horrors! the slum was burnt. 
The cooks were duly informed of the high respect in 
which they were held by all of us. Burnt stew cannot 
be camouflaged even with large pieces of hardtack 
floating about, nor can it in any way be made tasty 
even to the hungry man. For that reason, we all 
"couched" upon the hard floor that night with empty 
stomachs and revengeful thoughts as to what should 
be done to that mess sergeant and his can-openers on 
the morrow. 

It bad been our pleasure that night before retiring 
to find in the 800th Squadron a few men who had 
previously been, members of our organization; it was 
a pleasure to talk over old times with them and to 
listen to their experiences since leaving our outfit. 
Not a few of the boys expressed the desire to return 
to our midst where they could associate with their 
original "buddies." Many of them had enlisted with 
us at Ft. Slocum and we had formed close friendships. 

The following day, order was brought about some- 
what; squads were assigned sleeping spaces, bed sacks 
filled with straw, and things became slightly more 
comfortable. We were able to look from the windows 
of our elevated home upon the roofs of what appeared 
to be a sizeable town. St. Maixent was searched for 
upon the map and found to be in the Department of 
Deux Sevres, about one hundred and seventy-five kilo- 
meters north of Bordeaux. All had hopes of seeing 
French life and also of tasting some of the French 
pastry and liquid refreshments; but again disappoint- 
ment greeted us at first hand. The Squadron was 
quarantined and our prison consisted of the barracks 
buildings, plus the courtyard surrounded by a high 
stone wall. The yard was not large, although suffi- 
ciently large to stretch one's legs. It was bordered on 
the far side by bleacher seats which were well patron- 
ized at all hours of the day, rain or shine, Sundays 
included. 

Because of the frequent rains, this yard was usually 



a sea of mud, our first introduction to French mud. 
France is often spoken of as "Sunny France", but our 
first month in the country failed to impress us with 
much of the sunshine. Our meals were eaten in the 
court in the open, standing or squatting in the mud. 
As little time as possible was spent in eating, but of 
necessity the French bread issued to us required con- 
siderable time for biting and chewing. One of our 
number, McBride by name, can testify to the extreme 
hardness of this bread; in fact, he still shows effects 
of one battle with an extra hard crust. 

"Corn willie" was served plentifully and frequently. 
Chicago, the home of this food, became unpopular 
and the few self-respecting sons of Chicago in our 
midst were never left in the dark as to what the 
remainder of us thought of "Chi." 

The dearth of sweet things and variety in our food 
was alleviated somewhat by the Y. M. C. A. The 
"Y" had two small rooms just inside the main gateway 
and the limited space was usually crowded; but never- 
theless it gave accommodations for letter-writing, 
games, and a general lounging place, as well as a 
small canteen. The canteen, though small, supplied 
us with French chocolate which contained enough 
sand to make a good mortar. There were also French 
apples anil nuts, but of a far inferior quality to our 
own American fruit. "Sky Pilot" Jones was often 
able to bring samples of French pastry from local 
bakeshops, a small morsel which would cost "beaucoup 
centimes"; occasionally he had sticks of licorice for 
sale and they became very popular because seldom 
obtainable. 

It was at this "Y" that we first began to get 
acquainted with and in some respects learn the 
value of our new friend, the franc. Previous to this 
time the good American dollar had been the basis of 
all financial dealings that we had ever had, but now 
our cash was all in francs and the value of any article 
was given in francs or fractions thereof. The French 
money system was not hard to become familiar with, 
but it was soon learned that our francs would not buy 
a large quantity of any article. We had few ways of 
spending our money as no liberty was allowed outside 
the barracks enclosure, except in a few individual 
cases where some men's ingenuity found for them 
methods of getting out and seeing the town. The 
would-be sick enjoyed the greatest liberty along this 
line, as they usually managed to get lost in traveling 
from the barracks to the hospital and return. The 
guards were also frequently awakened by the late 
return of some member of the post as he clambered 
over the wall or scrambled in through the window of 
the coal room. But although these few had exciting 
tales to tell of their experiences with French mademoi- 
selles, all of us gained a little idea of French life and 
customs while out on our almost daily bikes into the 
surrounding country. These hikes were our life savers, 



24 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



as they gave us the much needed exercise and also 
a little variety, something to see and think about. 
We saw many strange things, and to our unaccustomed 
cms there seemed to be an unusually large amount 
of black worn by the people. Their wooden shoes, 
which resounded upon the stone pavement like a troop 
of cavalry passing in review, took our fancy. Another 
thing which impressed us all was the fact that all 
houses were built of stone, instead of wood as in our 
own land. Every structure, no matter how small, was 
of massive stone construction. All the roadways were 
bordered on cither side by lines of trees; this custom, 
we were told, was started by X'apoleon as a means 
for giving his troops shade while on the march. Our 
hikes usually came in the morning, and the after- 
noons, if pleasant, were taken up by drill in the market 
place. Here, we spent many a weary hour trying to 
become efficient as a well drilled organization. Lieu- 
tenants Hansell and Ruggles had some difficulty at 
first in getting us to maneuver as platoons, but after 
numerous mix-ups and before our departure, the 
Squadron was able to keep a company front with the 
best of them. 

Another lesson we had to learn was that of military 
courtesy, and examinations in this art were given each 
member of the outfit before the commissioned officers. 
Lieutenant Hansell surely found out how little some 
ol the men knew regarding such matters while ques- 
tioning them in the little back room on the second 
floor of the officers' quarters. Lieutenant Ruggles 
learned numerous rules to be followed by sentinels 
on guard duty, which he found impossible to locate 
in the guard manual. Passes to the outside world 
were to lie issued to those passing the examinations 
but they were never really issued. 

<)n February 17th, word was received that our 
squadron number had been changed from the 118th 
Aero Squadron to that of the 639th Aero Supplj 
Squadron. It was hard to get used to. but 639 soon 
meant more to us than 118. 

One pleasure which every man enjoys, at least semi- 
annually, is a good bath, but bathing facilities were 
few during our stay at St. Maixent. Hot or even warm 
water was almost unobtainable, except upon two oc- 
casions when an effort was made to give us baths. 
For the first bath arrangements bad been made with 
the proprietor of a hath house in the town to give us 
baths for one franc fifty each, and we were to go to the 
bath house by squads. The first two squads marched 
there for this purpose, when orders were issued by 
the medical officer that no more men would be taken to 
the bath house because of the possibility of spreading 
measles. This means of giving the men baths being 
forbidden, another method had to be devised, and this 
was to heat our water in large G. I. cans. Each man 
was allowed one bucketful of warm water, a small re- 
cess in the wall being used as a bath room. Here, for 



the first time since leaving Garden City, we were able 
to shower ourselves with lots of soap and a little 
warm water. Seven minutes was allowed each man. 

About this time, a few' of the familiar scenes observed 
within our enclosure were: Childers on the wood pile, 
Blough taking bugle lessons in the straw shed, order- 
lies carrying heaping plates of French fries across the 
yard to the officers' quarters, an aged French newsboy 
standing at the gate blowing his fish horn and in- 
forming us that he had copies of Chicago Tribune for 
sale, and "Swiss Admiral" doing laundry business m 
liaison with a "frog" laundryman. The boys had a 
basketball, which was in constant use whenever the 
weather and ground conditions would permit. Close 
order baseball games were occasions of great interest. 

Of all our hikes, the one we enjoyed most was the 
last. On that day Lieutenant Ruggles was in charge 
and marched us up into the hills to the rear of the 
"range"; there we followed the paths in single file 
until a broad, open hillside was reached, where we 
broke ranks and spent a pleasant rest period by sing- 
ing familiar songs. The day was ideal. After the rest, 
we fell in, trailed down through the ravine and up the 
opposite hillside, which brought us directly into the 
rear of the French rifle range, where practice was 
going on. We had progressed a little too far when the 
machine guns opened fire in our direction, causing us 
to beat a hasty retreat. Upon our return to the bar- 
racks we learned that the squadron bad orders to 
leave for the front that same day at 2:00 p. m. This 
was the moment all had been looking forward to and 
in short order everything was in motion. Mattresses 
were brought and hastily emptied of their straw and 
coo-coos, blankets and packs were made up with as- 
tonishing rapidity, so that at the appointed hour all was 
in readiness. The last to fall in were those who had 
been living m the hospital temporarily; they now 
flocked back to the ranks in all haste. Even as we 
arrived at the station the last of the hospital birds 
fell in. 

Upon our arrival at the railway station, we tried to 
guess which cars had been sidetracked for our special 
use. Here again the prophets were misinformed, for 
after three hours ol patient waiting we were issued 
"corn willie," tomatoes and hardtack, from the cook 
car, that being the only part of the organization which 
had entrained. The delay was occasioned by the im- 
possibility on the part of our officers to secure better 
accommodations for us than the box cars the French 
offered us. Third-class carriages were promised for the 
following morning, and as night was coming on we 
marched out of the railway yard and spent the night 
at the ( onclaux Barracks, the same to which we had 
paid a visit on our arrival at St. Maixent a month pre- 
vious. Here we were given quarters in a large stone 
building adjoining the Cathedral. Chow was served 
from a common kitchen and the great outdoors served 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



25 



as a mess hall. We were lucky enough to obtain a 
second evening meal here, all eating heartily of the 
stew, the common dish at St. Maixent. 

During the evening the Conclaux "Y" was heavily 
patronized. Hot chocolate and sandwiches could he 
had, also accommodations for writing a last word home 
before we left for we knew not where. Our sleeping 
quarters consisted of a large room formerly used by 
the soldiers of Napoleon, access being gained by the 
most crooked and the darkest stairway it had ever been 
our privilege to explore. Our bunks were not over 
comfortable, but we managed to pass the night, and 
also the next day, in these barracks. That night, Feb- 
ruary 28th, at 11:00 p. m., we marched to the station 
once more and found third-class carriages in place of 
the box ears. No time was lost in getting aboard, one 
squad ol eight men to each compartment. Almost im- 
mediately the peanut whistle blew and we were on our 
way. 

Preparations for a night's rest were begun at once, 
but we soon found that eight men and their packs were 
more than a single compartment on a French railway 
train could accommodate comfortably. Eight men 
cannot stretch out on the two narrow seats, at best only 
large enough to hold them all in a sitting position, so 
other means had to be devised. A few managed to 
squeeze themselves under the seats, but in most cases 
they soon came up for air. Others stretched out in the 
narrow aisle of their respective compartments, serving 
as foot rests for their comrades. Still others more 
daring, and naturally not the heavyweights, found 
resting places on the hatraeks over the seats. These 
were by far the best locations, and best suited to the 
long, slender individuals with a never-failing ability to 
hang on, even during their sleeping hours. In these 
various ways we managed to pass our three nights of 
travel. Few slept because of the cramped quarters, 
but no one complained, as we were all aware that 
American soldiers traveling to the "Front" in France 
could not expect accommodations similar to those to 
he had in the States. 

Our route led us through 'fours, Orleans, Troves, 
Chaumont, Langrcs and Neufchateau. At Chaumont, 
the G. H. Q. of the A. E. F., we made a stop upon the 
viaduct, the highest and longest stone bridge that most 
of us had ever seen. From our train upon the top of 
this structure we could look across the city and down 
through the valley of the Marne, which at a future 
day we were all to travel as dust-covered soldiers 
returning from duty at the front. After leaving Chau- 
mont, sights of unusual interest attracted us; numerous 
troops, trains of French soldiers, an occasional Red 
Cross Hospital train bringing its load of wounded 
back to the base hospitals, and large quantities of war 
material in process of being stored or transported. 
Everything was interesting, because it featured the 
"big show" in which it was about to be our privilege 



to play an active role. A real American railway train, 
drawn by an honest-to-God American locomotive, 
greeted us on the last day of our trip with its never- 
to-be-forgotten Yankee whistle, and gained our ap- 
plause. On this same day, we were treated to another 
sight— falling snow. At the time of our departure from 
St. Maixent, spring was coming swiftly on, sending 
out her greeting in color. Now our trip was taking 
us into the snow country and a real snow storm was 
under way. We traveled on, not knowing our exact 
destination, but upon arriving at Neufchateau all were 
certain that our trip was fast approaching its end. 
At the stations we saw soldiers of all colors and all 
nationalities; some seemed to be carrying more than 
their share of decorations, but four years of severe 




Bridge over the Marne at Chaumont. 
fighting gave many a man an opportunity to win all 
the medals then existing. At last the word was passed 
along that the next station was our and that we would 
detrain at that point. All was excitement now as the 
train rolled into the little station at St. Germain in 
the Department ot Meuse. We looked out upon a broad 
and desolate expanse of river flats, broken onl\ by 
the tree-bordered banks of the River Meuse, upon 
whose banks many a historic and bloody battle had 
been fought. As we stood upon the station platform 
we could look out across the snow-covered flats upon 



Qurches 




git " dy ,,-j 






[THE /S£)CT Ort£T 
O l G * E7 ".^ H ' M n r 



h£'S uookxHO For f^rnce. 



d 




POPULAR 
OUT-OOOR 
SPORTS " 



D 



Ws 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



27 



the little village of Ourches, which we soon learned 
was to be our new home. 

Ourches 

Ourches-sur-Meuse is a small hamlet ten miles west 
of Toul and six miles southeast of Commcrcy in the 
Department of the Meuse. The Front was less than 
ten miles away. It was largely in this Department that 
the A. E. F. were given an entire sector, referred to 
as the Toul sector. To this advance zone of the A. E. 
F. was the 639th assigned. 

It was March 2, 1918, when we got off the train at 
St. Germain, and after a forty-minute hike through 
the deep, soft slush and snow, arrived in Ourches. 
We were met by Lieutenant Karl ("lark, the only Amer- 
ican officer then in the town, and were thus the first 
Americans to be quartered in Ourches. Naturally, the 
French people looked us over with critical eyes. 

Lieutenant Clark led us to our billets, which, to our 
amazement, we found to be unused portions of barns, 
lofts, and stables. But with grim humor every man 
unslung his pack, selected his resting place and pre- 
pared himself a bed of straw, of which there was 
plenty in each loft. Many of the more adventurous 
of our number spent the evening exploring the town. 
It took but twenty minutes to make a complete circuit. 
All the confection shops, wine shops and cafes were 
carefully located, with a view to the great dav when 
our overdue pay would be handed to us. Because of 
our several moves, we were a month behind in pay, 
and nearly every man was broke or very badly bent. 

In the billeting the squads were kept together, and 
thus a few squads bad the good fortune of being 
assigned an empty room or two next to those occupied 
by the peasant owners. Dingy rooms and lofts they were 
on the whole and reeked with stable odors. But, wonder 
of wonders ! most of these squalid looking houses, and 
even the barns, were equipped with electric lights, evi- 
dently introduced by an aggressive salesman of a nearby 
hydro-electric plant. It seems that in the small ham- 
lets the homes, stables, and barns are built under one 
roof, and cows, horses, poultry, and human occupants 
use the same entrance. Not infrequently when a sol- 
dier would grope along a dark hallway toward his 
quarters he would be met by the family stock on its 
way out. Those squads assigned to lofts and stables 
had difficulty in dodging rain coming through the leaky- 



roofs. Tlie prospect of spending much time in our 
new quarters was anything but pleasant, hut even at 
that the freedom they offered us compared to the 
quarantine confinement of the previous month in bar- 
racks relieved our feelings considerably. 

Our French friends seemed more than willing to 
meet us half way socially, and fortunate was the squad 
that could count among its members one who had 
studied French. Many of us had experiences similar 
to the following: It would be determined upon to 
pay the French family in the house a visit. A hold 
knock on the door would firing the "qui est la?". Upon 
entering as smilingly and as politely as possible we 
were always invited to make ourselves at home, and a 
mediocre one-sided conversation would commence. 
With the exception of our interpreters, we had to limit 
our part of the conversation to exclamations of "Oui, 
oui," and to smiles intended to give the impression 
that we understood what was being said. The interior 
of the abode was usually amazing to us in that 
it was so small and narrow, dark, cold, and cheerless, 
but clean. Our minds would wander back to our 
school days, wherein had been painted for us the 
picture of great and friendly France. Xo teaching had 
prepared us for such poor scenes of home life. How- 
ever, we were usually billeted with the poorer peasants, 
so these impressions were not at all general. Evenings 
spent with our French friends were always happy 
evenings. The hosts, with their rapid-fire French, plied us 
with questions bearing on the United States and what 
we expected to accomplish. The children invariably 
gathered around us and begged for "tabac, cigaret, 
chocolat." Those fifty centime "French-English" con- 
versation books came to be worth their weight in gold 
to us, and many had progressed far enough to agree 
to return "ce soir et manger oeufs beaucoup." The 
hosts, of course, brought out their best wines, and no 
one was known to refuse any of it. A more enjoyable 
evening than the first one in Ourches had not been 
experienced since our arrival in France; not only 
entertaining, but instructive, it was, for while our 
presence was still a novelty, our hosts told us much of 
themselves, the war, and France. 

Our first night in the billets acquainted us with the 
ubiquitous rat rustling among the straw, water drip- 
ping through leaky roofs as the snow melted, and the 



riflM 100KIT 
JEM TREES 




i he y- On out) 

V /( rS^TER HEKfJ 



#1. 



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28 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



drone of night-flying aeroplanes. One squad reported 
the next morning that its French neighbors were much 
alarmed and rushed about the house crying, "Boche! 
Boche!" but if it was an enemy plane we didn't know 
it. The novelty of a night-bombing airplane flying 
over us, and of the continuous thundering of heavy 
.yuns at the not far distant Front, was of such great 
interest that fears and conjectures gave way to awe, 
wonder, and impatience to see more. We learned 
later that it was very common for Boche planes to fly 
over Ourches and that the village had indeed been 
bombed a year before. Indeed, upon our arrival in 
( lurches we found an increasing anxiety on the part 
of its inhabitants that the great activity of the enemy 
the two weeks previous would increase and end with 
a destructive bombing raid because of the presence of 
American troops. To the nervous natives, every plane 
that hummed overhead was a Boche plane. However, 
we soon learned that the Boche visits were far less 
numerous than they supposed. As for ourselves, we 
soon learned to distinguish between the bum of the 
various types of motors, and thus learned to welcome 
the sound of a Handley-Page or an F. E. by night, 
and that of the Nieuport and Spad by day. The hum 
of a Mercedes motor always brought a crowd of ill- 
wishing soldiers looking skyward. 

( >ur first Sunday in Ourches deserves special men- 
tion. In the morning, at inspection, we were informed 
by the C. O. that we were to start the construction of 
an American flying field on the edge of town, to be 
occupied by three observation squadrons as soon as 
completed. We were also told that the work had to 
be rushed, and that while it was a disappointment to 
all, officers and men alike, it was necessary work and 
must be done by someone; and that we were serving 
the cause just as well in construction work as in any 
other kind of work. It was heart-breaking news to all 
of us, especially because we bad dreamed of becoming 



a squadron employed in transportation and mechanical 
lines alone, and because many of us still hoped for 
that Hying training promised so faithfully by the re- 
cruiting sergeant some months before. No one ever 
pictures an Aero Squadron licking the Hun with pick 
and shovel. Although the subject was discussed all 
day, pleasure was uppermost in each man's mind, for 
it was the first day of liberty since we left Kelly Field 
over two months before. Some of the men disported 
themselves like young horses just turned out into a 
pasture after a bard week in harness; others tried to 
drown their sorrows in this or that, and one man 
actually landed in the river by mistake. Still others 
bent on seeing things explored the surrounding coun- 
try as far as Vaucouleurs. It was a long and great 
day and everyone did as his fancy dictated. 

By Monday morning the snow had almost disap- 
peared. We were divided into groups, armed with 
picks and shovels, and marched to the scene of our 
new activity. Our first task was to excavate bases for 
barracks and to transfer some lumber to the building 
sites. But few of the men had ever done excavating 
before, and then only at Kelly Field, most of the men 
being mechanics and clerks. The more politic ones 
grieved over the fact that war compelled them to dis- 
turb the beautiful surface of mother earth with such 
menial instruments as picks and shovels. The first few r 
days produced some effect on the earth's surface, and 
more in the way of blisters on our hands. But it was 
our duty, and being among the first 200,000 of the 
A. E. F. to land in France, we had to expect to help 
in the construction work. And work we did. Nobody 
ever worked harder. An important compensating 
feature in construction work is that one can see bis 
results grow, and our results grew rapidly. 

During the first week at Ourches, another squadron— 
the 465th Aero Construction Squadron — arrived, fully 
equipped with all manner of construction equipment. 




Street Scene in < lurches 




639 th Billets and Headquarters - Ourcbes 




River Meuse offer a flood — Ourch&s 



-- 






■■ 



•*&. 



A- 1 ***^"**!! ' -^m^rm^ __ «*****« , . 





; -i jl 




Cathedral at 

St. Maixent 




Artillery passing thru Camp from the Front 



MarKet place — drill 
around — SfMabeent 



30 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



For thirteen weeks the 639th and -koth worked side 
In side, and always with the best of good will and co- 
operation. We found them capable and agreeable 
companions. A lew days later, a company of the 119th 
Machine dun Battalion arrived to assist ns, but they 
remained but a short time. This company later dis- 
tinguished itself as part of the 32nd Division. 

Barracks and hangars were put up in record time, 
and by April 1st the field had been near enough com- 
pleted to receive the first of its quota of observation 
squadrons. The 1st Aero Squadron arrived first, and 
a few weeks later came the 12th. As the barracks 
were completed, the 639th and 465th gave up their 
cheerless billets and moved into the board barracks, 
much to the glee of all concerned. It was pleasant 
at the field. The camp site overlooked the now beau- 
tiful green valley of the Mense and the partially wooded 
hillsides. 

With the arrival of the two observation squadrons, 
and later the meteorological men with their small 
toy baloons and the pigeon men with their traveling 
"coops" and flocks of homing pigeons, interest in sur- 
roundings and in the conduct of the war became intense. 
Furthermore, the squadron had now actually accum- 
ulated eight motor trucks, a touring car, and several 
motorcycles, so that every man obtained an oppor- 
tunity either as chauffeur or as part of a "loading 
detail" to see much of the surrounding country. Some 
went close to the trenches, others to the far Alsace 
front, and many got to Nancy. Toul, and Bar-le-Duc. 

That planes were now actually working over the 
front lines with our field as a base inspired us to 
greater effort. It was a tangible evidence that we 
were accomplishing something. Daily the ships of the 
1st and 12th would fly over the lines to take photo- 
graphs of the enemy's positions or activities, or to act 
in liaison with the Infantry or assist the big guns in 
regulating the direction of their fire. When they came 
back from a trip, those of us who could would gather 
close to the pilot or observer and listen to the story 
of his day's experiences. When planes returned rid- 
dled with bullets it brought the actuality of it all home 
to us very vividly. The 1st Aero Squadron was equipped 
with biplace Spads, while the 12th had to get along 
temporarily with old A. R.'s. None of us will forget 
the days when ships never returned from a trip, or the 
days when aviators were killed accidentally on our own 
field; how quiet and sad the camp was on such days! 

Hut there were days that were full of excitement ; 
such as when a Boche ventured too far into the Amer- 
ican lines and was chased by our Nieuports, or when 
the allied anti-aircraft batteries opened up with a bar- 
rage around a high-flying Boche, only to puncture and 
dot the sky with hundreds of balls of smoke. On such 
occasions we would yell as though it were a baseball 
game. Also, we would wear our tin derbies to protect 
us against the falling shell fragments. Then there was 



the day when Lieutenant Barnaby in endeavoring to 
fly out of the valley near the mess ball struck our tin 
house, gave Canaday, its only occupant, the surprise of 
his life, and caused the plane to turn upside down; and 
the day when we beard the rattle of a machine gun 
overhead, only to see a Boche plane fall in flames. 
How curious everj oik- was that day to go to the scene 
just to see what a dead German looked like. And who 
will forget how Lieutenant Thaw in "taking off" 
skimmed the top of Coale's tractor, tearing off the 
steering wheel and causing Coale to duck for cover; 
or how Rhodes was saved from a watery grave by 
brave little Eddie Connor; or the days of the big 
drives, how crowded the roads were with miles and 
miles of camions and artillery and soldiers. Who 
will forget the false alarms of air raids, when we 
were ordered to work with our tin derbies and gas 
masks handy; or the night just before we left 
Ourches, when the batteries opened up on a sup- 
posed German raider. It was too interesting to 
rush for a dugout. And then who will not recall 
the happy days when the water tank had to be filled 
in St. Germain; or the days spent on McGovern's 
wood-cutting detail or "summer outing" camp; or 
the Sundays in Yaucouleurs, the baths in Toul, the 
mademoiselles in St. Germain, the diving hoard on 
the river, the "cheap" confections one could buy in 
( lurches, rolling the bones after taps, and stud 
poker? But who wants to remember excavating 
bases for barracks and hangars in a cold rain on a 
Sunday, or splitting solid limestone rock in the 
dugouts, digging trenches for a pipe line, digging 
an ammunition pit, hauling" rocks off a steep slope 
by wheelbarrow to the rock crusher before the nar- 
row-gauge tracks were laid, peeling spuds for Hogan, 
groping at night along streets kept dark to deceive 
the Huns, the morning after pay day, corn willie. 
Mistered hands, sore backs, etc.? 

But to get back to the earlier days: On March 
27th we moved into the barracks, and great was the 
rejoicing. A few days later we moved into our new 
kitchen. The original kitchen was but an abandoned 
vehicle shed, at one time part of a winery. It was a 
good makeshift, at that, but it was unpleasant to 
have to stand in line and eat in the rain. Our 
officers ate with us, although they found a dark store- 
room for shelter and a barrel for a table. Our new 
barracks were set deeply into the hillside and cam- 
ouflaged with boughs. In the barracks we were all 
together and were brought into intimate association 
with one another. Here we spent the happiest days 
and nights of our army life. Heie we became bud- 
dies and confided to each other our past histories, our 
ambitions, and plans. Here we wrote our letters, 
before tables were placed in the mess hall. Here 
Holley ran a small but well stocked canteen for us. 
so that we were well supplied with American cigars, 



®e 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



31 



cigarettes, canned fruit, and chocolate. For lights 
we worried along' with candles, although electric 
lights were installed the week we moved away from 
Ourches. All the windows were draped with black 
curtains at night, that no light might penetrate to 
the outside and give a possible Boche raider a clue 
to our location. On several occasions we anxiously 
awoke to hear a ripping and tearing and crashing, to 
find that the wind had ripped off our roof and left 
us exposed to the rain. 

Daily, after supper, or before, the men would 
wander to town, each to his home to a friendly fire- 
place and a free meal, or to his favorite "old standby," 
either Lucy's cafe, where the biggest woman in 
town moved around with the grace of an elephant, 
or to the little grocery to fight off the temptation of 
buying at the owner's price, or to listen to tales of 
the war. Then there was the "tabac" store down 
by the bridge, frecjuented by those who thirsted for 
knowledge or a pleasant chat with a chic mademoiselle. 

Many of the men won promotions at Ourches. 
The hard work and trying conditions soon brought 
out the true character and worth of each man, and 
it was told us that if a man would not shirk such 
unpleasant and heavy duties as construction work 
involves he would lie valuable anywhere and could 
hold a promotion. It was work that developed char- 
acter as well as muscle, and even though promotion 
came slowly to some, their records at Ourches were 
always big factors in determining whether or not 
they could hold a promotion. 

As the glorious month of May drew to a close we 
saw our days at Ourches grow shorter. The wildest 
speculation was indulged in as to what our next 
step would be and whether it would be a continua- 
tion of construction work or a chance to become a 
service squadron like the 1st and 12th. The Y. M. 
C. A. by this time had erected a hut and started en- 
tertainments, the Red Cross put up a large building, 
a real bath house was built, and electric lights and 



running water installed. But there also came an 
order to move. Such is army life; you get settled, 
then acquainted, everything runs smoothly, and in 
comes a G. H. Q. order to move on. Not that one 
minds the moving if the change brings more ex- 
citement or more useful work, but the anxiety is 
wearying. 

On the 23rd day of May, we received orders to 
proceed to Amanty, headquarters of the first bomb- 
ing group. That evening the men gathered at their 
favorite "hangouts" and discussed what the future 
might hold in store. All regretted to leave the best 
camp in the A. E. F. It was the best, and we don't 
say it because we built it. It was not stuck in the 
woods nor in a mudhole, and it was close to a small 
village, a good river, and what is most important, 
close to the big war — as close as a flying field could 
hope to be. From the Hying field we could see the 
quarries at Commercy, the road to St. Mihiel and 
Verdun, the line of observation balloons behind the 
trenches, our planes flying over the lines and back in 
daytime and the star shells at night. Always we 
could hear the thunder of artillery in action, the 
roar of planes overhead, and see the endless streams 
of troops bound for the front. 

Now we were to move even further from the war, 
to Amanty this time, about fifteen kilometers to the 
south of us. On the morning of the 24th we climbed 
into trucks and were off. About twenty men were 
ordered to remain at Ourches with Lieutenant Han- 
sell and our transportation equipment for two weeks 
longer, to finish hauling lumber, gas, etc. On June 9, 
when we made our next move, these men rejoined us 
with the trucks and equipment. 

Amanty 

The camp at Amanty was hidden by a forest, making 
the outlook from the barracks rather dull. However, 
our work was to be of a higher class than heretofore 
and that was worth a lot. We constructed a hangar, 
worked in the machine shop as mechanics, drove 




A. R.'s in Collision Near Ourches. 






'""Bb 






&WliCut~ 



rWnfenfWflfsi 






/ si'^32f 



; 'Pfvino Boon 



riM'Sl 



r*e-. 



; ^rV'* 



: '*? 






*v 



^\ V 



^ j 



gssftlRtt 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



33 



trucks, and overhauled airplane motors. It was here 
that the "flu" epidemic found us and caused us to 
patronize sick call in crowds. At one time, sixty-seven 
of us had the flu and the barracks were turned into 
a sick ward. Happily, it lasted but a few days and no 
one suffered seriously. Here, also, some of the men 
received their first opportunities to ride as passengers 
in airplanes, and many were the wild letters written 
Imnie in description of the experience. Hopes of the 
would-be aviators rose high while at Amanty. The 
Y. M. C. A. at Amanty was a "stunner," with big 
Jim Goodheart in charge; pool tables, piano, phono- 
graph, lounging chairs, magazines and newspapers, and 
a counter where there were plenty of cookies, hot 
chocolate, and smokes. There were movies, vaudeville, 
and a real live American girl to talk to. 

Pleasant as were the few days at Amanty, we didn't 
regret it when orders came to proceed to Chatillon-sur- 
Seine, for with the orders came the rumor that at last 
we were to train as airplane mechanics, and perhaps 
later return to the Front with planes. With light 
hearts, we packed our bags and started for our new 
home in our own trucks. 

It was an ideal day. but very dusty. The journey 
was of some 120 kilometers, and lay through Neufcha- 
teau, past Domremy, the birthplace of Joan of Arc, 
through Chaumont and Chateau Villain. Hogan and 
Ins "can-openers" started ahead of us. It was already- 
after noon when, after passing through Chaumont 
with still several hours ahead of us and a gnawing 
sensation in the region of our stomachs, we came upon 
the very welcome sight of Hogan's truck drawn up 
alongside the road, and his "can-openers" guarding a 
table loaded with bread, jam, and corned willie, and a 
steaming G. I. can of coffee. No meal was ever eaten 
with greater relish, and even corned willie himself was 
honored by a second round. So unexpected was this 
handout, and so much appreciated, that we voted never 
to call our cooks "can-openers" again. 

Chatillon-Sur-Seine 

It was six o'clock Saturday evening, June 8th, when 
the leading elements of our camion train rolled into 
Chatillon-sur-Seine, bearing a very hungry, dust- 
covered bunch of 639ers. Chatillon is a town of about 
5000 inhabitants, located in the Department of Cote 
d'Or, 80 kilometers northwest of the historic city of 
Dijon, and 70 kilometers southeast of the once famous 
city of Troves. A short distance beyond the town 
limits, in full view of the ruins of the chateau of the 
dukes of Bourgogne, we were soon to settle for a 
more protracted period than we had anticipated, and 
much less desired. Our greatest ambition at that time 
was to return to the Front as soon as feasible with 
our own airplanes and pilots. Thusly, we thought to 
accomplish the greatest good and most effective work- 
to ruin the Boche. 

Chatillon is a prominent name in French history, the 



dukes of Bourgogne having selected this town for 
their abode from the 10th to the 15th centuries, making 
it the capital of their territory. Commerce and indus- 
try thrived under the Bourgognes, until the havoc of 
continued wars, oppressive measures, and excessive 
taxation finally destroyed the weaving industry that 
had previously been so lucrative. 

Even today, several large factories are in operation 
there, three of them having devoted their entire facili- 
ties to the production of munitions throughout the entire 
period of hostilities. The town proper comprises two 
distinct districts — the Chaumont, or newer section, and 
the Bourg, or ancient section, the latter replete with 
important scenes of great historical interest. 

The River Seine, which has its source 30 kilometers 
distant, separates before traversing the town, one 
stream passing through the main section of Chatillon. 
One of the most scenic spots in the vicinity is the 
source of the River Douix. It flows from under a 
cliff of solid rock, 100 feet in height. 

Strange indeed must have been the impression made 
on the French people of Chatillon by our men, be- 
decked with the dust of a day's travel. It was necessary 
to drive through the principal streets of the town to 
arrive at the aviation field, which was located on a 
higher level than the town, about one kilometer south- 
east of the Bourg section of Chatillon. 

The mess sergeant, with his crew, had arrived as 
a sort of vanguard, and several of his helpers were 
already exploring the town as our camion train drove 
through. A decidedly superficial observation of the 
town on the part of the late arrivals drew rather favor- 
able comment, but everyone was anxious to get settled 
before devoting serious attention to the burg. Hence, 
it was with intense satisfaction that the boys, for the 
most part unrecognizable, a result of the white dust, 
an inevitable sequence to a day's ride over French 
roads in dry weather, clambered off the camions, shout- 
ing for assignment to billets and something to appease 
the appetites that had been for the most part neglected 
during the course of the day's travel. 

It required hut little time to learn from the men of 
the 89th Squadron, the only squadron already at the 
Post, who had anticipated our arrival at least two 
months previously, that there was located there a very- 
large Infantry Officers' School ; though the aeronau- 
tical school was still a small feature, boasting only four 
hangars housing 24 A. R. airplanes and an Adrian 
barracks, quarters for the 89th, and a circular hospital 
hut. utilized for a mess shack. A rather dilapidated 
tent served as a "Y," where Webster did his utmost to 
satisfy the wants of the boys. 

After an exchange of ideas with the men of the 
89th, prospects among the men of our squadron for 
real homes with the Chatillonais we thought were very 
discouraging if the boys at the Infantry School were 
half as active as were the 639th at Ourches. However, 



HHBHHH 




A stop enroute, flmonKj -Chotillon 




ttoqan's dusty "can openers 



36 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



\u' assumed an optimistic view of our new environment 
and were determined, as we had acquired the habit 
from McBride of Missouri, to be shown, or to be con- 
tent only with the result of our own investigations. 

Once separated from the greater part of the French 
real estate we had so involuntarily acquired, the mess 
sergeant barked out a summons for chow, which con- 
sisted, thai evening, of the customary short order Army 
menu — cold corned willie, pickles, bread, and the 
inevitable coffee. Even this prosaic bill of fare received 
unusual attention, so hungry was the bunch after the 
fatiguing day's journey. 

Chow finished, inadequate accommodations necessi- 
tated sending all except 40 of the men over to the 
Patronage Barracks, where several companies of In- 
fantry students were quartered. The Patronage in- 
closure comprised several large, antiquated buildings, 
typical of simple French architecture, and several 
Adrian barracks, one of which was assigned for our 
occupancy. 

Dark had already settled before we arrived at the 
Patronage inclosure, and after each man had carted in 
three or four bunks, then recovered his barracks bag 
from the general confusion before locating definitely 
for the night, the hour was too late to permit an 
exploration of the town, so the majority of the men 
"bit the hay" to enjoy a much needed rest. Those 
who deferred filling their bed sacks with straw imme- 
diately after it arrived, were "SOL" when the fact 
dawned upon them that they had neglected to do so. 
For these, there was no alternative but to pass the 
night as comfortably as possible on the hard boards. 

Practically everybody was feeling as fit as ever the 
next morning, and the Patronage detail (as those of us 
who billeted there were known ) inarched over to the 
field, garbed in fatigue clothes, to get breakfast and 
commence work on the foundations for our barracks, 
which had been very quickly laid off by Captain Fritz. 
Several of the boys that morning inaugurated the 
custom of dining with the doughboys, which afforded 
them good eats and leisure time to jaunt over to work. 
Inasmuch as our first day in Chatillon was a Sunday, 
only half the men were detailed to work in the fore- 
noon, the remainder replacing the morning workers 
in the afternoon. Thusly, everyone had opportunity 
to "once over" the town, comparing observations that 
evening. 

The bunch, with Buck Atwell on the job, succeeded 
in erecting a small tent, which served temporarily as 
a kitchen, and a larger one, utilized for supply and 
orderly room. The latter was devoted to this same 
purpose during our entire sojourn in Chatillon, going 
to salvage only when we packed our bags and made 
ready to quit the place. 

That first Sunday, several had already cultivated the 
acquaintance of some of the town celebrities, Countess 
de Big John and Madam Sho Sho figuring more prom- 



inently on the list than the others. The ruling in effect 
that all men be in by nine o'clock was an innovation 
hardly appreciated, after enjoying the liberties which 
Ourches had afforded us. 

The Aeronautical School at Chatillon was originally 
intended to be but a minor feature of the Second Corps 
Schools grouped there. The object for which the Aero 
School had been established had in view the final train- 
ing of aerial observers prior to their assignment to 
active service "over the lines." 

The course offered comprised Aerial Photography, 
Artillery Reglage, Aerial Gunnery, and Infantry 
Liaison ; three weeks of good weather sufficing to 
complete the final training, provided the aspirant had 
successfully qualified in all these important branches, 
and favorable weather conditions had prevailed during 
that time. Practically speaking, it might have been 
properly termed a "Finishing School for Observers," 
inasmuch as anyone capable of filling all school require- 
ments in the various topics could be depended upon to 
go successfully on missions over the lines. 

Eleven officers comprised the first class of graduates, 
which fact offers an idea as to the capacity of the 
School as we found it on our arrival there. Four 
hangars, a supply hut, a Swiss hut for a radio office, 
a Swiss hut for headquarters, two Adrian barracks for 
student observers, and one for officers' mess, and three 
barracks occupied by the 89th Squadron, were the only 
buildings which had been erected prior to our coming. 

Plans for extension had been formulated, and we 
were to be instrumental in assisting to materialize the 
first part of them. On Monday, June 10th, work on 
foundations and construction of our barracks and mess 
hall commenced in earnest, the entire work being 
completed, save for the installation of bunks, on the 
14th, having required only four days to prepare foun- 
dations and to erect three Adrian barracks. A detail 
built and installed bunks on the arrival of material a 
few days later. That our Ourches experience had not 
been amiss is evident from the excellent results ob- 
tained here. Those who at Ourches had played a 
heavy roll in the drama of "Licking the Kaiser" donned 
their togs again, while with the same picks and shovels 
and "Irish Capronis," but with a new incentive (that 
of obtaining a service squadron basis "toute de suite"), 
they arrived at objectives with greater speed than they 
did up Front. 

June 15th, picks, shovels, and brouettes were returned 
to the supply tent without a semblance of regret, and 
approximately a hundred men were assigned to work 
on the flying field. The squadron was lined up and 
classified according to previous experiences, the nature 
of the work to which each was assigned harmonizing 
with individual adaptability. Some found themselves 
very much at ease in the machine shop, E. & R. shop, 
radio department, armory, and others on airplane crews ; 
all to work in conjunction with, though for the present 



Jitaillon 

^MrVeirip 




"VIVE Lfl CHAr/UON" 





2nd C.fi.S* Transportation Deph 



Dotvrrfol! of a -Sop 



■^e639TH AERO SQUADRON 



39 



under supervision of, the members of the 89th Squad- 
ron, until such time as 639's capability to assume full 
charge should evince itself. At that time, the 89th 
expected to return to the Front with their own quota of 
airplanes and pilots, when we were to succeed them in 
e\ cry department on the field. Though our men qual- 
ified quickly, the 89th did not make its departure, plans 
developing differently and the continued expansion of 
the school required them to remain. Our new work 
was to consist in keeping planes in commission. Cap- 
tain Falk informed us from the start that a plane was 
either in commission, or not, and our duty was to 
avoid the "not" as consistently as possible. To realize 
this, it was sometimes necessary to pull a block or two 
on a motor, grind valves, and keep the motor and 
ship in perfect "flying" condition with a minimum loss 
of time. Work, thoroughly executed, would preclude 
the possibility of serious accidents due to mechanical 
causes. 

It was with regret we learned two weeks after our 
arrival at Chatillon that Lieutenants Hansell, Mulhol- 
land, and Gillett were, at their own requests, to return 
to the Infantry. The Squadron presented each of them 
with a gold signet ring, in expression of its esteem and 
regard. All three succeeded in returning to the scene 
of real activities, Lieutenant Mulholland earning the 
privilege of displaying a wound chevron, due to an 
encounter with a stray piece of Boche "H. E." Lieu- 
tenants Snow and Mckinley remained with the outfit, 
the former being assigned to the Post Supply, while 
the latter acted in the capacity of Post Censor and 
Intelligence Officer until placed in command of the 89th 
Squadron in January, 1919, previous to its departure 
for "Home." 

Making friends among the Chatillonais proved a 
facile matter, some of the boys meeting fair Frog 
maidens, others assuming the obligations of providing 
smokes for just so many additional subjects of Presi- 
dent Poincaire and supporters "I the tri-colqr. Eating 
course dinners where a permit to do so was required, 
buying bread "sans ticket," were quickly enacted 
without the so-called necessary permit or "ticket" 
by those who knew a little French, and likewise by 
those who knew it not so well. Prime favorites with 
the hospitable people of Ourches, the 639ers were soon 
strongly entrenched in the affections of their newly 
made Chatillon friends, and reciprocal courses in 
French and English were established in short order. 
Chateaus were not requisites for those who wished to 
master the difficulties of the English lingo, the echoes, 
in a soprano voice, emanating from mere "somethings" 
that might be described as "Holes-in-the-Wall." If the 
mademoiselles progressed as rapidly as did our men, 
Chatillon would speak English as extensively as 
French, after the signing of the Peace Pact. 

About a month after our arrival at Chatillon we wit- 
nessed the first fatal accident at the school when 



Lieutenant Robbins and his observer were burned to 
death after a fall following a forced landing at the 
Infantry School. 

The obsequies were held the next afternoon, and u e 
witnessed our first military funeral in France. Work 
was declared off for the day and both squadrons formed 
in a procession. A Fiat truck, sides dismounted, and 
covered over with white cloth, draped in black, served 
in place of a caisson. The procession formed in front 
of the Hotel de Yille, the French undertakers making 
a very droll appearance in their high-top hats covered 
with black oilcloth, as they busied themselves pre- 
paratory to the march to the cemetery. 

Leading the procession was the Mayor of Chatillon, 
followed by some of the prominent Chatillonais and 
French officers. The various uniforms of the French 
Officers and Veterans of 1870 contrasted greatly, af- 
fording a real interesting spectacle. Then came a 
detachment of Infantry — the firing squad — followed by 
the pilots and observers from the school. 

The truck followed, heaped with floral pieces almost 
concealing from view the caskets draped in Old Glory. 
Following this were our two squadrons and many 
French civilians. 

After the usual simple but impressive ceremony over 
the grave, a fellow-aviator flew over the cemetery and 
dropped flowers on the grave of his unfortunate com- 
rades. 

Our work on the field had offered numerous op- 
portunities to take trips in the planes, and interesting 
indeed is the experience of the first ride above the 
clouds. Those awful forebodings prior to the "taking 
off," only to be pleasantly disappointed by finding the 
ground leaving one and the objects becoming smaller 
and smaller, without even the slightest ill effects, are 
now pleasant memories. But, if the motor had failed 
or the ship had fallen into a nose spin, what then? 
Then a pleasant whizzing through space for an in- 
definite period. Finally, after a few tight spirals to 
lose altitude, with the ground looking up over the side, 
came the descent, a successful landing, and the convic- 
tion that flying is the only thing, with a desire to 
mount again at first opportunity. It was not long until 
frequent flights became a part of the daily routine and 
all thought of hazard was forgotten. 

By July 10th, our Squadron had not only taken over 
several airplanes, but was in full charge of two hangars, 
with the 89th Squadron in charge of the other two, 
responsibility being evenly divided in hangar number 
five. 

Work on the field offered everybody an equal oppor- 
tunity for promotion and the number of non-coms 
increased monthly. Chatillon is ample evidence of the 
degree of success attained by the members of the 
Squadron in the various departments to which they 
had been assigned. The lectures given by Captain 
Falk were of real benefit to the men of the Squadron, 




The old wasty stand 




63S th quarters at ChaH/lon 



TTie snail § lobster 




arte 



(?oad fo Camp 




We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



41 



all profiting in some measure by them, as the continued 
improvement in the work on the field clearly indicated. 

Though "beaucoup" pep was necessary in the work, 
we also found much time with hut little to occupy our- 
selves. If a ship was out on a mission or not on 
schedule, the crew might he seen dozing in the sun 
under the wings of an aeroplane, while some others 
were boiling clothes, utilizing a "blow torch" against 
the side of a bucket to furnish the heat. 

Intense interest was aroused by the arrival, almost 
daily, of a strange plane from some other field, coming 
for a replenishment of "essence" or stopping over for 
the night while on a long ferrying trip. Practically 
every type of airplane from a French baby Spad and 
English Sop Camel to a Handley-Page bomber and 
Caproni bomber made a call at our field. When either 
of the last mentioned type sailed in for gas or oil, 
everyone was as scarce as possible, as it signified almost 
a full drum of "essence" and beaucoup "huile" entailing 
beaucoup labor. 

Whenever a plane made a forced landing forty kilo- 
meters or so away from camp, and wrecked up suf- 
ficiently to necessitate dismantling it, the crew proceeded 
to get their blankets and make ready for a night out in 
some field near some live town. The salvage trip then 
assumed more of a picnic aspect than a work trip. A 
plane was always an attraction to the people in the 
vicinity where it landed, and when the mechanics ar- 
rived on the scene they invariably found a crowd of 
Frogs there to greet them. The work of tearing down 
and loading a plane on a trailer was of short duration 
and usually not very difficult, the men then proceeding 
to "once over" the town and its offerings. Just such 
trips caused many to study French, "billet-douxs" be- 
coming quite popular. No one failed to indulge in a 
real home-cooked dinner when out on these trips, the 
people showing our men wonderful hospitality at all 
times. 

Late in August came the 20th Company, 4th Regi- 
ment, Motor Mechanics, who were assigned to crews 
on the field and in the shops under our men. Their 
advent marked the beginning of a substantial enlarge- 
ment of the school, the plans adopted providing for an 
increase in its training capacity from IS students per 
month to 180. 

Sopwith training airplanes arrived in large numbers 
about this time, the number of planes on the field 
having shown a decided increase in accordance with 
the general extension plans. About that time, "Liberty 
1000" landed at our field en route to the Front and 
caused considerable excitement and interest among the 
men. After repeatedly hearing so many unfavorable 
reports anent the Liberty motor, it was indeed a treat 
to realize that we already had 1000 of these splendid 
ships playing their part in giving the Boche his due. 

In September, the 157th and 370th Squadrons arrived 
from England and commenced immediately to material- 
ize some of the proposed developments. The new- 



comers were rather disappointed on learning of the 
construction work that lay before them, but set to 
work determined to make the best of it. Then it was 
we felt that we "had it" on the new bunch. We had 
spent all our time in France; had labored up on the 
Toul Front, and now we were capably acquitting our- 
selves of the duties of a Service Squadron, our previous 
work and present occupations warranting us the priv- 
ilege of watching the "other fellow" do his bit with the 
instruments of torture — the pick and shovel. 

They assisted in erecting additional barracks, hangars, 
and shops, while 639ers regarded themselves as 
having graduated from such duties. We certainly had 
had our full share of such work. Complete machine, 
E. & R., and overhaul simps were built, a power house 
installed, and newer and more commodious quarters 
constructed for the Photo, Radio, and Training De- 
partments. 

The number of hangars increased from 5 to 15, 
housing a total, at one time, exceeding 100 planes. 
Many of our men shared in producing for the Engi- 
neering Department one of the most enviable reputations 
for efficiency among the Air Service schools and 
instruction centers in the A. E. F. 

By the end of August, the positions of responsibility 
in the diverse departments on the field were evenly 
divided between the 89th and 639th Squadrons, a fact 
in itself an excellent tribute to the caliber of men in the 
639th. The 157th and 370th worked in on the field 
after the construction work had been completed. 

Each succeeding month witnessed additional promo- 
tions, and by November practically all ratings author 
ized a Supply Squadron had been given out. Unfor- 
tunately, the efforts to have the squadron changed to 
a service basis had not as yet met with success, thus 
depriving many men of deserved ratings which a supply 
organization was not permitted to make. This condi- 
tion, however, gave birth to a new clan — "The Non- 
Chauffing Chauffeurs" — and some who had once sat 
in an automobile were now privileged to sport the 
wheel on the right sleeve. Norton, who made the P. M. 
detail famous with the morning and afternoon colla- 
tions from the officers' mess, which he provided for 
the members of this distinguished detail, eventually had 
this distinction conferred upon him. Another member 
of the famous P. M. detail finally attained the rankness 
of "H. P." Buck Atwell, after he had relinquished the 
"Top Kick's" berth, received the title of "Chauffeur" or 
"Knight of the Bath," and from that time, until his 
premature departure for home in December, confined 
his efforts to making the hoys comfortable in the bath 
house. We also lost Temple, Arlington, Shields, Steven- 
son, Dorney, and Sheiler, who were transferred and 
sent home after a siege in the hospital. Stevenson 
accidentally received a bullet in the leg. Shields's 
injuries were due to a propeller striking him. Bill 
Brandt, Steen, Childers, and Traw were transferred to 






American built 


DH4, with Liberty Motor 










K ip r "WMHami 


**- 







Caudron (French) bi-motor Bomber 




/A.I?. Training 




Morcme monoplane 



Sopuoi t h - observation 




5afm5on - observation 



Liberty fit 1000 




Caproni Tri-rnotor bomber 





15 meter Nieuport 



Col Benedict in a racy 5£r5 




First Liberty at Chattllon 



44 



•8k? 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



the 1101th Squadron. Brandt, we regret to say, was 
reported to have died suddenlj at Lemans while await- 
ing orders home. 

It is with justifiable pride that we entertain the 
thought that not one of the fatal crashes on our field 
occurred in a plane having a member of the 639th 
for crew chief. We had the lowest percentage of 
accidents for so large a number of flying hours, as 
compared with the records of the various training 
centers of the A. E. F. 

On November 1st "DeHaviland -1" planes, equipped 
with Liberty motors, began to arrive at the field to be 
utilized for training purposes. They proved a vast 
improvement over the Sops and A. R.\ which, from 
thence on, began gradually to disappear, Liberties 
replacing them as soon as the slower planes were worn 
out. 

The high efficiency of the Engineering Department 
under Captain McLeod's regime, the ingenuity exercised 
in equipping its shops, the skill of its personnel in 
maintaining the ships, and the spirit of loyalty, har- 
mony, and sense of responsibility, were a creditable 
reflection on the men of our Squadron, who filled the 
majority of the responsible positions. The work per- 
formed by our men was directly instrumental in the 
development of a feeling of confidence on the part of 
pilots and observers, to secure which was a severe test 
of our efficiency as well as conducive to their best 
efforts in the air. 

The almost unbroken line of ships on the field was 
another evidence of the merits of 639's mechanical 
ability. If a ship were not in flying condition, the 
prevalent custom ordered it several feet in the rear of 
the line till necessary repairs had been made. In a 
short time, a change of a wheel, or the replacement of 
all or a part of a wrecked landing gear, was speedily 
effected. Efficiency and speed in such minor details 
enabled the greater number of ships to be in commis- 
sion all the time, earning a reputation for the Squadron 
and for the school, too. Occasionally, some incidental 
work demanded recognition, as was the case after the 
unexpected rain and windstorm one night in September. 
A storm broke without sending any harbinger, and when 
the wind had ceased its howling and Pluvius called 
"time" we took stock of the damage done. Practically 
every barrack in camp was minus several sections of 
roof, while sheet iron plates were scattered about 
everywhere in the vicinity of the circular huts. The 
"Y" tent was blown down and torn considerably, as 
was also the orderly tent. The morning after, details 
were busily engaged restoring roofs and pitching the 
two tents that suffered so severely in the merciless 
gale. It was at this time that the orderly tent was 
changed to a location between our two barracks, where 
it remained during the remainder of our sojourn in 
Chatillon. 

Though much work was accomplished at Chatillon, 



it was here that we had our greatest amusement. In 
July, the first group of Permissionaires from the 
Squadron hied unexpectedly off to Aix-les-Bains in 
quest of whatever a "leave" might offer a Yank. From 
that time on the men became more familiar with the 
ways of the French, this knowledge improving as we 
neared our second service chevron. Since the first 
leave, our delegations have visited practically all the 
leave centers, including St. Malo, Grenoble, Allevard-Ies- 
I'.ains, Nice, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Lucon, and Men- 
tone. The recollections of Dijon, Paris, Lyons, Mar- 
seilles, and some of the smaller cities are fixed in the 
memory of everyone, each for a very different reason, 
ranging through the entire eligibility list from Yvette 
to Marguerite. Each returning permissionaire might 
write a most interesting volume all his own of his ex- 
periences and no two would read similarly. No one had 
forgotten Heinrich's loquacity during the two weeks 
succeeding his return to the "simple life." We all 
learned bow be met the Duchess, his irresistible, taking 
manner captivating her on their first meeting. He told 
us, also, how lie attended a banquet at the Chateau of 
the Duchess which Secretary of War Baker and Gen- 
eral Bliss honored with their presence, and that when 
the Secretary asked him for a match, how munificently 
he acted on that occasion when he said, "Here, Secre- 
tary, keep the box." After this hobnobbing with the 
aristocracy, we know why he captivated the affections 
of a famous opera prima donna. Of., course, all the 
men did not enjoy the same prestige, but all succeeded 
in making pleasant acquaintances and learned much of 
France's most attractive parts. Heinrich himself, on 
bis second leave, pursued an entirely different policy 
from that of bis first "permission." He contended 
that his hobnobbing with the "bluebloods" on his first 
leave bad exhausted his financial resources, so for his 
pocket's own benefit be eschewed the high-brows and 
enjoyed himself more, at less expense to himself, on 
his second leave, without any excessive search. 

Every man easily found the sort of diversion most 
attractive to him. What the Squadron personnel didn't 
know about the gay "London House" or "Berthouxs 
Inn" at Lyons does not exist. The "Pension des Ar- 
tistes," where the comely French movie stars and young 
artists make their abode, was penetrated by E. deGray 
Read and Galtes. Very likely the "de" in Read's cog- 
nomen was the powerful influence that overcame staid 
European conventionalities, gaining admittance to these 
precincts, inasmuch as "de" is tacked on to the mon- 
nickers of the aristocracy on this side of the Pond. 
On the return from a 14 days' absence from "la Belle 
Chatillon," the attractions of Rosie's Cafe, or Hotel 
de la Poste, waned and they didn't seem to be the 
"nice" sort of places we were at first inclined to think 
them. Once returned from a leave, the greatest desire 
was to start off on another, the required four months 
passing as four years. 




Coudron training plane 



fatal crash of a Sop 




639 tti Office and Supply Tenf 



Y.M.C.A., Barracks and Mess Halls 







jfc-r 



Bloor 




Norton & 
W^isblum 



hmer\4 Office 




48 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



The well established "Y" erected with the general 
expansion program proved to be an agreeable surprise. 
Though Mr. Webster provided amply for us in his 
dilapidated tent, the influx of the three additional 
squadrons warranted the construction of the excellent 
"Y" accommodations we afterward enjoyed. For a 
short time we had Miss Mann at the "Y," who inaugu- 
rated the hot cocoa custom. Her sojourn at the field, 
however, proved of short duration, work in Paris calling 




The Old "Y." 

her there. Fortunately, the cocoa custom survived to 
the end. 

Entertainments were provided at regular intervals, 
the local talent periodically providing shows of real 
merit. Divisional shows also favored us with their 
offerings from time to time. 

A baseball league was established, in which we were 
represented, having returned home only once on the 
short end of a score. These games provided auto trips 
to Montigny, Vcuxhalles, Courban, or to other towns 
where our opponents were stationed. The trips were 
.1 vi ui ice of real pleasure, Murphy and his transporta- 
tion gang providing trucks to carry the large band of 
rooters which accompanied the team on all trips. A 
combination team composed of men from the 89th 
and 639th frequently met the strong officers' team 
which boasted several ex-college and league players in 
their lineup. These games were always nip-and-tuck 
affairs, the enlisted men, however, scoring the victory 
every time. 

Week-end auto trips were made to Dijon, Troves, and 
Auxere, in recognition of the fine work accomplished 
on the field. That these trips were full of amusement 
is indicated by the general wish to be numbered among 
those selected for the next ride. 

By November, no squadron was producing better 
results nor holding more of the responsible positions on 
the field than was the 639th. The Transportation De- 
partment, with one of the best records in the A. E. F., 
was virtually personneled by men from our outfit. 
Headquarters depended on our clerks and stenos to 



assume charge of that department, which they did very 
creditably. 

Then "Boastful Willie" decided that the jig was up, 
telling us so with finality on November 11th. What 
happened that morning will lie remembered forever. 
A half hour after the good word had been received, 
639tb's settlement bore a more forlorn aspect than the 
"Deserted Village" itself, the bunch heading for town 
en masse. That the 639ers played a prominent part 
in the celebration may be ascertained from the fact 
that several of us figured in little reckonings after the 
general hilarity had subsided. But everyone was doing 
his best that day, and we carried the same enthusiasm 
into the merry-making that characterized our daily 
tasks; hence, our exceptional accomplishments on the 
occasion of the armistice. 

Though hostilities had ceased with the armistice, the 
same spirit that had imbued the men in their work was 
as noticeable as previously, no one relaxing his efforts 
to maintain- the same high standard of efficiency in all 
work undertaken. 

November saw the Thanksgiving issue of "Contact," 
our squadron paper; the second edition appearing as 
a New Year's number. The merits of the sheet may 
be judged from the fact that the Chief of Air Service 
requested copies of all ensuing issues of the paper; 
also any cuts of general interest we had used and still 
had in our possession. These were to be utilized in the 
official history of the Air Service for official Govern- 
ment records. A thousand copies were sold of the 
second number. Rhodes, the Editor, however, expe- 
rienced snmc-of the difficulties of the regular newspaper 
scribe. Many libel suits were threatened, but finally 
dropped when informed that "Contact" could not pos- 
sibly pay any damage suits returned against it. 

From November 11th, on, there wasn't a dull moment 
for anv of us around the barracks. Occasionally- some 
of the fellows would join in the social whirl and return 
after an undeniably pleasant evening spent at Rosie's 
Inn, or perhaps at the Hotel de la Poste, while still 
others found amusement in visiting the "Sign of the 
Red Horse" (Cheval Rouge) or "Big John's" dugout. 
There were those, too, who devoted their evenings to 
the mastery of the ^difficulties of the French language, 
while the fair instructor simultaneously labored to 
overcome the difficulties of English. Each man had 
his particular rendezvous where he could always call 
for his "oeufs" and "pommes de terres frites" without 
fear of disappointment. 

We could not forget the strong man stunts performed 
after a social, or a dizzy whirl at popular Rosie's or 
one of the other emporiums. The way those stoves 
went over cannot be forgotten, nor can the spontaneous 
readings from Shakespeare go unappreciated. The 
boys certainly "knew the town, but we can't say more 
about it, due to the silence each observed concerning 
his achievements there. All had real rendezvous, but 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



49 



refused to let too many in on them, thus spoiling their 
own opportunities. 

In spare time, or on holidays, the men could he seen 
hieing off in all directions, St. Colombe and the smaller 
neighboring towns offering a welcome to many of the 
639th men. 

On January 12th, our old friends of the 89th started 
the first lap of the journey which we all hoped to make 
as "toot sweet" as possible, to "God's Country." The 
639th then became the pioneer outfit on the field and the 



departure; bin each succeeding day found us as im- 
patiently waiting as on the day previous. Dame Rumor 
had everyone on the "qui vivc" during the last month 
there, and it seemed as though our orders would never 
come. 

One hour of drill constituted the day's labor, while 
most of us tired striving to dope out some means of 
agreeably occupying the remainder of the time. All 
excess equipment was turned in during these days and 
general preparations for departure were in order. "Y" 




2nd Corps Aero School from Above 



places occupied by them were due recognition of their 
qualifications. 

Here it was that the wild rumor artists realized the 
wonderful field of action that lay before them. Dailj 
the Mexican athletes had either sailing orders for the 
Squadron or some "straight" or "inside" dope that 
assured our departure by the end of January. Some 
were even deploring the fact that we would be de- 
prived of our right to don a second service stripe. 

Late in January, the work of the school having ter- 
minated, orders to return to the United States were 
requested for our Squadron, and then the real anxiety 
began. All were aware that each day might bring our 



entertainments during these days were staged fre- 
quently, but the majority of the men preferred asso- 
ciation with their French friends, as they anticipated 
leaving them soon, perhaps never again to see them. 

March 5th, excitement exceeded all bounds when 
we received official notice that w'e had only two more 
days in Chatillon. Some men immediately set to work, 
packing up their barrack bags, while others seemed 
almost skeptical, fearing that the cheerful news was 
only a dream. The supply tent looked comparatively 
bare after all excessive equipment was turned in and 
served to confirm the good news. 

March 6th, the men, with the co-operation of Lieu- 





mini "j- - ■ ■ 

: | ■ ■ 

■ ■ 

T 111 m:« v OBK ill K \l.l> 



MM \ i u VOKK Mil' 

Foth R«e>r» Gcrm»n Plcnipulrntinnti I; 

utim-x onu «!"* 11 p'wr, pan >■■ i 

arrcauM »«i tiimui i ;jM!fc nn waff " «' 
urn* i imc ft"" *>>p u» u wiiipwonni 



THE SI » VfJHK III K \1 .11- 

GERK*M MUST DECIDE BY II O'CLOCK OS MOSDAT &ORXHG 
rtwpuu fins ro mil 'S.tS^T'Jr- «* **»" ° & : 
bttsh ™t«Qi t <wlw jy~"*- nn«eowiK 

Tin: sew i*ohk _n i-:W \i.n 



\BDlCATlON OF THE KAISER 

;«:\(HATION IN GERMAN 1 

■ 

■ 




THEKAKEK FLELS TO HOLLLMJl 5I.0OH SPILE 



-:•*=* « MOU ., 



i in NEW \ iiKU III II I Ml 

^THE WAR IS WON! 




Armistice Day 
in Chafillon 





639th Mess Hall at Chatillon 




639th Cooks ami K. P.' 



W? 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



55 



tenant Mitchell, the Engineering Officer, rigged up a 
fusilage and gave an unprecedented parade through 
the streets of Chatillori, which is described at length 
on another page. 

En Route, Chatillon to Marsas 

The morning of the 7th blanket rolls were prepared, 
barrack bags packed, and baggage transported to the 
station to be loaded on the cars that were already 
waiting to receive it. Most of the day was spent in 
making the rounds of our numerous friends to bid 
them a final adieu. It seemed as though each man 
bad been adopted by some fair "Marraine," following 
the popular French custom. Old wines were brought 
out after an apparent undisturbed rest of some years 
and opened, in order that the best of friends might 
drink together before parting. All were implored to 
write "souvent" and besought not to forget their 
friends as soon as they had separated from them. 

At eight o'clock the Squadron, in full marching order, 
formed on the road in the rear of the line of barracks 
and executed a "squads right" for the last time in the 
good old environment that served so long a time as 
our home. The doorways along the streets were filled 
with people who were to have a final glimpse of us as 
we marched, singing, along the route to the station. 

\\ e arrived "a la gare" about 8:30 and piled into our 
"40 hommes — 8 chevaux" Pullmans, eager to be off on 
the most desired of all journeys — most desired because 
it was the beginning of the end of our military career. 

Lieutenant Mitchell was at the station and bade each 
man a personal farewell. That afternoon the members 
of the Squadron had presented him with a pair of field 
glasses and a gold pin in token of their friendship for 
him and in recognition of his efforts to further tin- 



interests of the men. By ten o'clock we saw the last 
of Chatillon and were then ready to consider sleeping. 
The men then occupied themselves striving to deter- 
mine the best means of arranging their bed sack-. 
which they found piled up in the cars on their arrival 
at the station. It was decided to arrange the bunk- 
adjacent to one another, the boys sleeping "sardine" 
fashion, i. e., with the feet of one in close proximity 
to the head of the other. For a time some of the boys 
were greatly perplexed in their efforts to arrive at a 
satisfactory solution of the sleeping problem. Hot 
coffee had been prepared and the boys "fell out" to 
enjoy this prior to "setting" themselves for the night's 
rest, if rest were to be possible in so crowded a con- 
dition. By the time we had pulled out of Chatillon the 
sleeping difficulty had solved itself, as the boys hit the 
"hay heap" one by one, and a visit with Morpheus en 
route became a reality. However, it cannot be con- 
tended that sleeping under those conditions was an- 
alogous to sleep of a real beneficial nature, because 
when we arose the next morning fatigue had not been 
wholly dispelled. Bunks were rolled up and equipment 
suspended from the ceiling and from the walls through 
the medium of numerous nails that had been placed 
there for this purpose. Everyone was fully awake 
bright and early, waiting for succor from the cook- 
car. The night's travel had brought us as far as Dijon, 
a city known to practically every member of the 
Squadron. Many had found rare enjoyment there on 
week-end trips, while everyone who had been on leave 
had made Dijon a factor in his itinerary. 

A number of the boys hit direct for the Red Cross 
canteen at the station, where their healthy appetite- 
were soon appeased by the kindly, good looking, real 




En Route to Marsas 



56 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



American girls. A few others (ask Rhodes and Galtes) 
even perpetrated a morning social call at some of the 
nearby hostelries where they had formed "friendships" 
with some of the "fair ones" of the Rochefort country. 

About eight o'clock the Squadron "cuisiniers" served 
hot coffee and sandwiches of the "cold beef" and 
confiture variety, the boys returning to the cars well 
satisfied for the present. Shortly after this "petit 
dejeuner" the tram signalled departure, everyone climb- 
ing aboard anxious to cover more distance as quickly 
as possible. 

All the boys were settled comfortably enough in the 
cars during the day, some sitting in the doorways, wink' 
Others remained standing, gazing out of the open win- 
dows, enjoying the ever-changing beautiful landscapes. 
An hour out of Dijon and we saw Beaune with its im- 
mense American University colony, which several of 
ns were anxious to attend, but failed to receive the 
appointment. 

Each car provided its own impromptu entertainers, 
time passing tolerably fast with little diversions and 
spontaneous bursts of drollery. Eats did not come as 
frequeuth as our appetites warranted, and fortunate 
indeed were those who had prepared for such a con- 
tingency, bringing an ample suppl) of sardines, cheese, 
jam and French bread, and even eggs. The generosity 
and good-fellowship in every car permitted no one to 
gaze hungrily on the scene, everyone profiting l>\ the 
preparedness of the farsighted ones. 

I'.y nine o'clock, the eve of the second day on the 
road, the interior of each car resembled a sardine can. 
In spite of the crowded conditions, sleep proved feas- 
ible. Some cars displayed hammocks suspended from 
the ceiling, as some of the fellows ingeniously con- 
trived to rig up their "shelter halves" sailor fashion. 
"Tiny" Kennedy thought to utilize his shelter half 
in that fashion, but decided on completion of the work 
that he was either too heavy or the shelter half too 
weak for the ordeal; so he flopped on the floor, where 
he risked no spill 

For one of the "far-end" men to proceed to the d 

alter dark to "once over" the ever-changing environ- 
ment was quite an interesting accomplishment. 'Twas 
necessary to rise, and either fall or dive as far as 
possible toward the mid-section of the car, recovering 
one's bearings after removing someone's knee or elbow 
from one's stomach. The method of procedure on the 
return was analogous, some displaying great skill in 
judging distance, landing in the majority of attempts 
directly on their own hay-heap. 

Travel a la "4(1 hommes — 8 chevaux" on this trip was 
a decided contrast to our trip under similar conditions 
over a year back, when we went from Brest to St. 
Maixcnt. On that trip conditions were considerably 
more crowded and sleep then was utterly impossible, 
general opinion concurring in severe aversion to 
French travel methods. Our year's experience had 



inured us to "war conditions" and with our straw -filled 
bed sacks along, our return coastward was a pleasant 
contrast to that awful journey "frontward" in January, 
1918. 

On the morning of March 9th we arrived in Chateau- 
roux. The night had passed in comparative rest, so 
the bunch quickly "piled oft" and formed a line for 
coffee in front of a French canteen. This beverage 
was appreciated, as was the information that we were 
to "lay over" there for several hours. The wise ones 
lost no time in exploring the town, their reports on 
returning to the cars causing many to regret their pro- 
crastination. It was true, however, that many of the 
fellows left Chateauroux in a far more jovial mood 
than they had entered the burg early that morning. 
All left Chateauroux, however, with a very favorable 
impression ol the place, for various reasons. 

The country traversed on this day was quite pleasing 
The scenery presented a very agreeable view. Eats, as 
on the day previous, did not come quite so often as 
the majority could have relished without pampering 
their soldier's appetite. Individual foresight again pre- 
cluded the possibility of anyone's enduring any hunger 
at any time on the trip. I'.y nine o'clock, the majority 
of the cars were darkened The quiet did not prevail, 
as usual, till a considerably later hour. One night had 
sufficed to inure the boys to the "sardine" mode of 
bunking. For that reason everyone enjoyed a good 
night's sleep the third night on the road. 

We were rudely aroused at five a. m. to enjoy some 
hot coffee, which was certainly appreciated, in spite of 
our disturbed slumbers. Monday, the 10th, found the 
hunks rolled up earlier than usual, possibly due to the 
untimely awakening. The doors and windows were 
opened to admit the best weather we had bad since our 
departure from Chatillon. Enthusiasm was rampant, 
inasmuch as everyone was anticipating the end of the 
journey some time on that day. At practically every 
station the French "flunkies" were bombarded with 
fineries as to how soon we should arrive at St. Andre 
de Cubsaz, our destination. The farther we traveled 
the later became the conjectured hour of our arrival at 
St. Andre, so we decided to ask no more questions. 

Chow on the third day was consistent with that of 
the two preceding days. Thrice during the day the 
hovs lined up for sandwiches and coffee, utilizing their 
own supply of eats in addition to those provided. By 
three o'clock we had crossed the Gironde and were 
moving slowly into the railroad yards at Bordeaux. 
Though we expected to leave Bordeaux "toute de suite" 
after completing another collation consisting of "hash" 
sandwiches, we were disappointed on that score. A 
"hot box" was discovered on the baggage car, and 
alter about twenty Frenchmen had completed their 
very cursory inspection, it was decided that it would 
be necessary to replace the car with another one. This 
necessitated the removal of the contents of the car, 



58 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



transferring them to another that had been switched 
up for the purpose. The encomiums heaped on the 
French inspectors might more properly be termed op- 
probriums, for the boys did not enjoy the prolonged 
delay. The work of transferring the baggage was 
accomplished in comparatively short time and everyone 
was anxious to leave Bordeaux as soon as possible. 
When we did start we were minus our baggage car, 
a^ a locomotive had in the interim been coupled to the 
opposite end of the train. Realizing our situation, the 
switch engine was coupled to the baggage car and fol- 
lowed us up as closely as could safely be done. The 
crew mi our engine heard the whistling and yelling of 
the boys and brought the train to a stop. The pestifer- 
ous baggage car was thin coupled on and we were on 
our way again by six o'clock. 

Marsas and Embarkation Camp 

Everyone was in readiness to detrain on a moment's 
notice, hut after a ride of two hours' duration we ar- 
rived at St. Andre only to receive the information that 
we had ten kilometers farther to travel. The congested 
conditions of St. Andre and its environs compelled us 
to billet farther up the line. About 9:30 we detrained 
at Cavignac and, after piling up our bed sacks, we "fell 
in" to march three kilometers over to Marsas, where 
we were to be billeted. The 157th, which accompanied 
us, did likewise, but proceeded on foot over to Cezac, 
which had been assigned for their billets. The march 
through the darkness under full equipment proved to 
be somewhat of an ordeal after three days and nights 
on a French "Soldier Pullman." The customary char- 
acteristics of the 639th "on the march" were decidedly 
lacking that night. Occasionally someone would com- 
mence a song, but bis enthusiasm invariably failed him 
as his pack emphasized its presence. The European 
kilometer, as a linear measure, evoked contempt from 
a Yank when he considered the superiority of the mile. 
However, those three kilometers we traversed, hiking 
from Cavignac to Marsas, were apparently longer than 
any American farmer's six miles. 

It was a fatigued bunch that came to a halt in the 
vicinity of the field kitchen located temporarily along- 
side the road in Marsas. Lieutenant Snow and the 
vanguard, consisting of Weisblum, lice, and Knowles, 
who arrived three days previous, had prepared some 
coffee. Even this sugarless beverage, with a piece of 
bread, was appreciated by all. By midnight the various 
detachments had been marched off to the billets to 
which they had been assigned. Xo one lost any time 
in preparing a place to "Hop" for the night — in the 
majority of cases, on the hard floor. 

Once again we found ourselves living in the homes 
of the French people, but this time under far pleasanter 
conditions. Many of the boys met the "Patron" that 
same night and were obliged to accept of his proffered 
hospitality in the form of some very fine wine. 

We were the first Yanks to be stationed in the 



vicinity of Marsas and the treatment we received 
from the people was above reproach — a decided con- 
trast to the environment at Chatillon. Marsas is a 
hamlet of perhaps eighty inhabitants, located thirty-two 
kilometers from Bordeaux in the Department of 
Gironde. It is in the heart of the "Vin blanc" district, 
the vineyards covering miles and miles of territory. 
Settlements in this section of France were quite dif- 
ferent from those to which we were accustomed in 
the eastern part of the country. The houses were 
located a considerable distance apart, each boasting a 
fairly large acreage devoted to vineyards. 

Our routine here consisted of morning and afternoon 
drill, though shortly before our departure the afternoon 
period was devoted to athletic activity. The change 
proved very popular with the boys, inasmuch as it 
afforded them ample opportunity to decide whether they 
had retrograded to the class of "has beens" or "come- 
backs." It is safe to venture that the great majority 
<|tialified in the latter category. 

Discipline tightened here and formations were the 
prevailing vogue. The men in the different billets came 
in formation for all meals, or whenever the presence 
of the entire personnel of any billet was required at 
some particular place. In proceeding to mess, forma- 
tion was necessary. Shoes, both field and russet, were 
kept scrupulously clean and polished at all times. No 
one readily forgot the impromptu inspection in lieu 
of retreat when what we thought was a real shine 
merited two hours and twenty minutes of extra hiking 
after supper. The penalty subjected to consisted in 
covering a prescribed route twice in one hour. This 
was, however, impossible to do, even should the bunch 
double time both circuits. 

The Q. M. treated us exceptionally fine and the mess 
sergeant by requisitioning the services of Bill Hogan, 
"a bear" of an ex-cook, and mess sergeant, improved 
the eats considerably. Effective precautions were taken 
to assure irreproachable cleanliness of mess-gear. This 
served to further the enjoyment of chow and satisfy 
the many inspectors on that score. 

Rigorous inspections were held every Saturday, 
everybody carefully preparing for them. The general 
improvement in discipline, drill, and appearance was 
quite marked after our first fortnight in Marsas. After 
four weeks in our Gironde environment the majority 
of the boys, to utilize their own expressions, were "sit- 
ting pretty." The French friends of the 639th were 
counted within a six or seven-kilometer radius of 
Marsas. The 639ers were favorites at Ourches and 
Chatillon ; and then at Marsas, experiencing no con- 
tenders, in addition to being the first American soldiers 
there, they found a hearty welcome from the start, 
which they retained throughout their sojourn there. 
Many a bottle of ancient "Vin blanc" was brought out 
after years of undisturbed rest. The people would 
accept no remuneration for this hospitality, offering it 







itwim 



Who 


•« do W£ 


go from h«re 


nil 

«. 1&3? < jB 




A 


- H 


Kg^&ii 


fc£*t M^a 


»jtifefeUflE 




The Sergeants get beaucoup franca 



Changing Billed 
1 




The Corporals are there foo, but get less 



Bed socks — Marsas 




When dou/e eat ? -Warsaw 



Say, Ah! Crowds waiting to -see 




feck/ng upa+ Chatillon 



The monster of the Great Peerade 




The "Pershinq" review neor 5t Andre 








Captain Fritz 




/A day in fonts near 5t. Andre 



Chocolate &■ Cigarettes 



<3fe 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



61 




^35SS3S6^*»^' 






Street Scene in Marsas 



through motives of pure friendship. Tobacco, cigar- 
ettes, and occasionally candy, of the issue variety, 
served to reciprocate the kindness. 

] luring our stay at Marsas it was not Found neces- 
sary to appoint M. P.s, a very creditable reflection on 
the character of the Squadron personnel. Access to 
cafes was had throughout the day until 9:30 in the 
evening. Inebriety was, however, practically a non- 
entity. 

For once, practically ever) man in the Squadron 
joined in the social whirl of French rural society. The 
weekly- dances, given under French auspices at Holley's 
billet and over "a la gare" at Gauriauguet, were largely 
attended by 639ers. These affairs invariably proved a 
revelation and a real scream to the boys. One could 
hardly imagine or easily describe the dances such as 
those French executed. It was certainly a ludicrous 
spectacle to witness; a small hall, overcrowded with 
French whirling dizzily for a moment, then tearing 
around in skipping fashion. In reality, it was merely 
a contest to see who could tramp on the greater number 



of feet with the least damage to his own. The boys at 
first essayed to dance, hut experience soon taught them 
that the spectator's role was the preferable one. The 
closing dance, however, was the one most appreciated. 
That three-piece orchestra (cornet, violin, and bass) 
inevitably ground out a jig for the final number on 
the program. The Amexes usually participated in that 
number, as it consisted in hopping from one foot to the 
other. Most of the comely demoiselles within the 
dance radius (and they came from miles around) made 
the "connaissance" of the 63°ers. 

For this, and other reasons, we had contented our- 
selves with our new environment and were reconciled 
to an indefinite stay in Marsas, But we were greatly 
surprised when, on returning from morning drill on 
March 7th, we received orders to proceed on the mor- 
row to the French Aviation Field at St. Andre de 
Cubzac. Here we were to bivouac for the night, pro- 
ceeding to Genicart the following day. Genicart was 
the embarkation camp for the Bordeaux area. 

Immediately following dinner, men from each billet 




Preparing for a Review at St. Andre 



62 



jfe 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



marched to their quarters and prepared themselves Foi 
departure. The French, who had learned to know us 
well, were greatly disappointed to hear that we were 
leaving them. 

By supper time all was in readiness tor departure. 
The hoys set out after supper to bid an revoir to all 
their friends. Amexes went in every direction that 
night to see for the last time their newly made friends. 
Even the chateau at Gauriauguet received two 639ers, 
offering several of their choicest "old" wines with their 
an revoir. Of course these were appreciated. Though 
"taps" was blown at the usual hour, a great number 
did not return for sleep until the "wee sma' " hours. 

At 8:30, the morning of April 7th. the Squadron was 
on the camions ready for the last view of Marsas. 
L'institutrice, who had shown a keen interest in the 
Amexes, had all the children assembled in the school- 
yard to wave "adieu" until our camions rolled out of 
sight. Some "fair ones" followed on bicycles as far as 
the Route Nationale, 

At eleven o'clock the squadron descended from the 
camions at the French aviation field at St. Andre. But 
little time was required to assign the men to tents. 
Everybody then commenced to explore the camp and 
locate as comfortably as possible for the night. The 
tents recalled the days we had spent at Kelh Field, 
though we were content to know that the repetition 
was for one night only. We were to have been re- 
viewed there by General Pershing, but the plans were 
changed. 

In the evening the boys took a jaunt into town to 
"once over" the place, main' having previously not been 
afforded the opportunity to visit the town. All re- 
turned to camp "de bonne heure" to get a good night's 
rest in anticipation of the hike on the morrow. The 
cooks worked all night preparing sandwiches for the 
hike. 

The bunch awoke the morning of the 8th, ready for 
the march though poorly rested after a night on the 
bard boards minus a bed sack. Everybody assisted in 
loading the baggage on the camions, a method that 
expedited considerably that tedious job, usually meaning 
hard work for only a few. 

It was observed that several camions in excess of 
those required for baggage transport had been as- 
signed to the squadron. By the "rank" elimination 
process, only the privates remained to make the hike 
on foot, according to original orders. After all the 
camions had departed the privates fell in, and, led by 
Capt. Fritz, were off on what they thought was to be 
a hike to Genicart. But twenty minutes were required 
to proceed from the Aviation Field to the M. T. C. 
park at St. Andre, where a halt was called. Capt. Fritz 
interviewed the officer in charge and two additional 
trucks were provided, to the great delight of the 
"Mucks". After an hour and a half of travel through 
beautiful surroundings, we arrived at Gamp Xo. 1, 



Genicart. The awful hike having been avoided seemed 
as if it bad merely been bad nightmare. 

Shortly after our arrival at Genicart we were com- 
fortably located in clean barracks. Each man, after 
the wont of 639ers, preceded to familiarize himself 
with his new environment. The new camp was agree- 
able enough, but we were informed that we were to 
leave the following day for Camp Xo. 2. 

After a night of excellent rest, we marched over to 
Camp Xo. 2 on March 10th. We immediately entered 
the mill, and "mill" that ordeal certainly was. The 
following day, when a number of our men were 
assigned to the "delouser" for duty, we realized what a 
farce we had participated in the day previous. Rookies 
that we were on our arival, the delousing ordeal was 
certainly a miserable process for most of us; though 
when our men commenced to put through the new- 
comers the next day the more ludicrous it all seemed 
to Us. 

The men were assigned to various occupations, all 
affording considerable spare time. None were sup- 
plied with those delicate instruments, the pick and 
shovel, for which consideration we were truly grateful. 

We were here under orders calling for permanent 
duty, though not "permanent" as is ordinarily inferred. 
The all important question was "when do we leave ?". 
But we had no official information on that score so 
were reconciled again to the watchful waiting policy. 

"Dame Rumor" again cast an effective thralldom 
about the squadron while our "bull" artists adhered 
servilely to their principles. Some had us on the boat 
a few days after our arrival at Camp Xo. 2; others set 
our departure for a specified time in the near future. 
The sagacious ones, however, prepared themselves as 
usual for the development of the reality and paid no 
heed to the bewildering rumors. 

As it developed, we were at the Embarkation Camp 
for about a month, performing our various duties. A 
large number were assigned for work in the "mill" 
and thus helped "decootieize" about 40,000 homeward 
bound men. Others were in the headquarters as clerks, 
guides, inspectors, etc. The time went rapidly. Geni- 
cart was a camp of daily changes, an endless stream of 
men entering to be deloused and leaving for the boat. 
Bordeaux was only a few kilometers south and many 
of us made several trips there and added to our store 
of knowledge of French city life. Bordeaux proved a 
wonderful city and we counted ourselves fortunate to 
be given passes so frequently. 

Back to the U. S. A. Again 

The great day arrived with a bang on May 8. We 
were relieved of our duties, again deloused, inspected, 
given emergency rations and orders for home. Never 
was there a busier lot of men and early on the 9th 
everything was in readiness to move. That afternoon 
we marched to the docks in a broiling sun. Our ship 
was the S. S. Sierra, formerly of the Oceanic Steam- 




The U.S.s. Agamemnon iooKus over 




f?ollincj+he iastpqck in France -(Gevicari) 



The 5.5. Sierra brough+us back 





&.m 



4 . si lie 



In one end and out thru the other 




On the .Sierra 0a\m\| weather 



NewWk Bny - Real Newspapers 




New York Boy, May 21,1919 



Stockwell. Norton, Burns 
at Gorder) Citv 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



64 



ship Co. This time we didn't mind the crowding 
because we had plenty of light and deck freedom. The 
journey lasted 13 days and was for the most part quite 
delightful. 

To make a long story short, we landed on May 21 
at Hoboken, and, after running the gauntlet of a num- 
ber of Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., K. C, and J. W. B. 
representatives who showered us with candies, tobacco, 
handkerchiefs, etc., were marched aboard the ferry 
boat Newburgh and sailed across to Long Island City, 
where we took a train to Camp Mills. 



What a delight to ride in an American train again; 
real American comfort, real American men and women 
at the stations. We spent the night at Camp Mills. The 
next morning we went through another delousing pro- 
cess and then marched to Garden City and entered 
good barracks once more. Telephones, telegraph, and 
the mails were kept busy connecting us with our friends. 
At Garden City our records were brought to their final 
form, our pay was computed, and by June 6 all of 
us had been discharged and were on our way home. 
The officers were discharged a few weeks later. 



Knutaon 



OFFICERS AND RANKING NON-COMS 
McAidle I'Murphy Holz Phoebus Glynn 



Bolle 



McGovei n 




Varney 



Weisblum 



Lt. Snow 



Capt. Fritz 



Capt. Gain 



Burns 



Frazer 



EMANUEL FRITZ, CAPTAIN 
Commanding Officer 

OMER O. GAIN, CAPTAIN 
Medical Officer 

WINTER N. SNOW, 1ST LIEUT. 
Supply Officer 

EBERHARDT J. BOLLER, MASTER ELECTRICIAN 

(A.M.) 

Chief of Hangars and Ships 

IRVING B. WEISBLUM, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

Squadron Sergeant Major 

EDGAR G. VARNEY, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

Post Supply Sergeant 

EDWARD J. MURPHY, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

(A.M.) 

Truckmaster 

LLOYD H. KNUTSON, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

(A.M.) 

In charge Machine Shop 

EDWIN K. HOLZ. SERGEANT 1ST CLASS (A.M.) 

Magneto Expert 



PERCY H. PHOEBUS. SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

(A. M.) 

Asst. in charge Hangars 

WILLIAM R. FRASER, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

(A. M.) 

Asst. in charge Hangars 

THOMAS L. TAYLOR. SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 

(A.M.) 

Asst. in charge Hangars 

JAMES A. McGOVERN, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 
In charge Police and Maintenance Dept. 

RAYMOND J. GLYNN, SERGEANT 1ST CLASS 
Asst. Post Sergeant Major 

CALEB L. YORK, SERGEANT 
First Sergeant 

JOHN B. BURNS. SERGEANT 
Squadron Supply Sergeant 

PETER F. McARDLE, SERGEANT 
Mess Sergeant 



66 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 




Captain Fritz. 




Lieutenant Snow. 




Captain Gain. 



CAPTAIN EMANUEL FRITZ 

Captain Fritz took command of the Squadron at 
Kellj Field, Texas, on December 24, 1917, and remained 
with it continuously until the Squadron was demo- 
bilised, June 6, 1919. At the time of his appointment 
lie was a First Lieutenant in the Field Artillery 
Reserve Corps, being subsequently transferred to the 
Air Service. 

IK has untiringh devoted all his time and efforts 
to the Squadron to make it a strong and efficient 
organization. That lie was successful in this is attested 
by the many compliments paid the Squadron from 
time to time. It may he said of him that he knew 
each of us individually and always looked out for our 
will. ire, comfort, equipment, and pleasure. 

Captain fritz hails from Baltimore, hut plans to 
make his home in Berkeley, California, after his own 
discharge, as a member of the Faculty of the Division 
of Forestry, University of California. 

FIRST LIEUTENANT WINTER X. SNOW 

Lieut. Snow was assigned to the Squadron on 
December 27, 1917, at Kelly Field. He was at that time 
a Second Lieutenant of the Infantry Reserve Corps. He- 
served with us until demobilization and thus served only 
three days less than the "Skipper". He was our 
Supply Officer after Lieut. Hansell left, and was also 
Assistant Post Supply Officer at Chatillon. His' quiet, 
genial and gentlemanly manner made him many friends. 
Lieut. Snow's home is in Mars Hill, Maine. After 
his discharge he plans to complete his law studies at 
the University of Michigan. 

CAPTAIN OMER O. GAIN, M. C. 

• aptain Gain, although not assigned as a Squadron 
Officer until March, 1919, was nevertheless looked upon 
as one of us after his arrival in Chatillon in June, 1918. 
As our Medical Officer he knew all our aches and pains 
and troubles. He was a most conscientious officer and 
was always on the lookout that sanitary conditions were 
correct. He intends, after discharge, to return to his 
family and practice in Dublin, Texas. 

CAPTAIN JOHN M. HANSELL 

Captain Hansell joined us at Kelly Field when a First 
Lieut, of the Infantry. He remained with us until 
June 24, 1918, when, at his own request, he was 
returned to the Infantry. However, fate willed that he 
drift into the Transportation Corps as a Regulating 
( Ifficer. When last heard from he was at Coblenz, Ger- 
many. As Squadron Transportation Officer, he made 
himself man) staunch friends. His home is in Tulsa, 
< iklahoma. 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



67 



1ST LIEUT. LEO. G. McKINLEY 
Lieut. McKinley joined us in March, 1918, at ( lurches, 
and served until January, 1918. when he was made 
Commanding Officer of the 89th Aero Squadron. As 
Squadron and Post Censor, Lieut. McKinley knew all 
our secrets and our hopes and desires. But he kept 
them to himself. His censorship was rigid but exceed- 
ingly fair. His home is in Keokuk, Iowa, where he 
practises law. 

1ST LIEUT. FRANK E. GILLETT 
Lieutenant Gillett joined us at Kelly Field in December, 

1917, and remained until June 24, 1918, when, looking 
about for more action, he was returned to the Infantry 
at his own request. At Ourches he was Post Adjutant. 
He was able to sec some real action with the 30th Infan- 
try during the last days of the war. His home is in 
Alpine. Texas 

2ND LILCT. EMMETT P. MULHOLLAXI) 
Lieutenant Mulholland joined us at Ourches in March, 

1918, and served there as Assistant Construction Officer. 
Being originallj commissioned in the Infantry, he was 
restless for real action, and therefore requested to he 
returned to the Infantry. He left us June 24, 1918, and 
in October, following, lie was severely wounded dur- 
ing an engagement in the Argonne Forest. He was 
still in the hospital in December, 1919, and reports that 
he must undergo another operation. Our regards and 
best wishes iHi a speedy and permanent recovery go 
out to him. 

2X1) LIEUT. WILLIAM I;. RUGGLES 
Lieutenant Ruggles joined us at Kelly Field. He was 
then in the Infantry Reserve Corps, and every day in 
the Air Service made him more impatient to get back 
to the Infantry and see some action. Consequently, 
he left us in March, 1918, hut fate kept him at an 



Infantry training post at the rear, and it was onlj 
toward the end of the war that he was able to see any 
action at the Front. 

Other Officers 
Among the early officers who were assigned only dur- 
ing the period of organization, 1st Lieut. C. G. C. 
Christie is the best known and served the longest — 
Nov. 10 to Dec. 24, 1917. He succeeded Lieut. Charles 
\\ Marshall, who was with us from Oct. 19 to Nov. 
10. Both these officers were commissioned in the Signal 
Reserve Corps, Aviation Section, and both were populai 
with the men because of their interest and efforts on 
behalf of the Squadron. 

Capt. Robert E. Souther, M. C, accompanied us 
overseas, but was detached upon our arrival at Brest. 
He was our Medical Officer for about three weeks and 
during that short time endeared himself to many of 
us lor his ability and kindly interest in our welfare. 

Other officers who remained with the Squadron but 
a few days or weeks were : 

Lieut Bagley, S. R. C, at Kelly Field until Oct. 19. 

Lieut. Lewis, I. R. C, enroute Kelly Field to Garden 
City. 

Lieut. Little, I. R. C, 
City. 

Lieut. Ross, I. R. C, 
City. 

Lieut. Birkhead, I. 
Garden City. 

Lieut. Hall, I. R. C. 
City. 

Lieut. Dove, I. R. C 
City. 

Major McKee, M. C, Medical Officer, Ourches. 

Captain Spaulding, A. S., Construction Officer, Cha- 
tillon. 



enroute Kelly Field to Garden 

, enroute Kelly Field to Garden 

R. C, enroute Kelly Field to 

enroute Kelly Field to Garden 

, enroute Kelly Field to Garden 




McKinley Mnlholland Seifert Hansell Snow 




R.M.Burn.5 Stack hou^e Gaffes C.F. -Smith Glynn Dollvj 
B^rne J. 6 Burns Shannon Wetsblum Termi niello 




Czysy Phillips Madison C.R.Morton Reynolds 

ftPaul W c rlrcile Sparks Bloom 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



69 



RUELL M. BURNS 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
October 19, 1917- Age, 19 years. 

A typical Bostonian, stout and good natnred, pos- 
sessed of a desire for music as well as for lieans. Sev- 
eral times during his stay in France his piano playing 
was enjoyed by officers and enlisted men. There was 
something about this gentleman's personality, together 
with his humorous sayings, that won him many friends 
in France, including the fairer sex, who enjoyed his 
Scotch songs and impersonations. His letters from 
home were his greatest pleasure, while he regretted 
that he could not purchase his favorite drink, "Bevo". 
He was the Colonel's stenographer at Chatillon, and did 
work of the same nature at St. Andre. 

ASA MATLACK STACKHOUSE 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
December 8, 1917. Age, IS years. 

A confirmed booster for the Empire State, known 
familiarly to Squadron members as "Stack" or "Mat- 
lack". Acquired distinction as understudy to "Honest 
Joint" of Supply affairs when John turned bis efforts 
to literary work. For a time served in the capacity of 
mail orderly and survived the ordeal. Struggled hard 
to familiarize himself with French, and strove bald to 
utilize it, with variable success. Found notorietj as the 
hero in the "Contact" novelette "The Amour of Asa". 
Proud to have been a "Buck" in Uncle's aggregation, 
because men of the calibre of Plato and Cato the 
Younger were "Bucks." Anxious to return to Ham- 
ilton to resume his collegiate studies and to see "Girlie" 
again. 

\\ ILLIAM F. GALTES 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell, California, 
November 14, 1917. Age, 3) years. 

"Peck's Bad Boy"; slim of stature; long on the eats. 
Insisted that he worked as hard as be could with the 
pick and shovel at Ourches, for which he received con- 
tinual call-downs. Spoke French fluently, thereby find- 
ing "homes" for himself and bis friends. Acted as 
interpreter for the Squadron at St. Maixent, Ourches, 
Chatillon and Marsas. Had ability to write. Served 
as Associate Editor of "Contact" and of the Squadron 
Book. Afraid of cold weather, mud and rain. Dislikes 
publicity, but enjoyed the mail call. Worked in the 
"Information Bureau" at Chatillon, where he gave eon 
siderable time to the study of aeronautics. Had a great 
liking for France and hopes to return some (lav. 

CHARLES F. SMITH 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 16, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

All men make one great mistake some time during 
their career, and this was true in the case of "Smuck" 
who contracted rheumatic trouble a vear too soon. Had 



be waited a year be might have been favored with a 
discharge soon after the signing of the Armistice, but 
we are pleased that he miscalculated for it gave us the 
pleasure of his company. He was often referred to at 
Ourches as the "pen-pusher" with the pick and shovel, 
hut Charles left his mark upon old Mother Earth while 
there. His last days in France were marked by a re- 
turn to his old line, a position being given him in the 
office at Headquarters Detachment. 

RAYMOND .1. GLYNN 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 3, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

"Beau Brummel" is what we'd have called him if he 
hadn't come to us with the curtailed monuicker "Ray". 
Early received sergeant's chevrons through his clerical 
ability, and continued the good work at headquarters 
wherever we were stationed. A strong supporter of 
the "Klerks' Klub" and always in company with some 
of them. Ray developed a weakness for the mademoi- 
selles of La Belle France but failed to give them the 
encouragement many of them would have liked. Nev- 
ertheless, a capable one-hand French parleyer. Claimed 
that demobilization could not come too soon, for many 
reasons. 

JOHN A. DOLLY 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 22, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

An old railroad man, whose work in the Arm} 
entitled him to the rank of "High Pvt." John, with a 
smile that was all bis own. managed to keep warm at 
the orderly room fire. His ability to consistently duck 
the labor crew at Ourches, and for a long while at 
Chatillon, was due to his ability and bis power to per- 
form with the pen. The official poster of the Guard 
and K. P. detail. At one time acting sergeant major. 
Served on "Contact" editorial staff. Possesses literary 
promise. 

PAUL J. BYRNE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 16, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

Another gentleman from New York, hut lacking in 
the "tboity-tboid" street dialect. From the time the 
Squadron was organized, until its demobilization, it was 
Paul's pleasure to entertain. At Lucy's in (lurches, at 
Chatillon and the "ball", in Marsas, his voice was 
heard. He also sang his way into the hearts of the 
"Maids de Lyon" when on leave. He bad the degree 
of P. M. (powder monkey) at Ourches, where a safety 
tunnel was constructed. During our last days at Cha- 
tillon, he, with Ranahau, composed several parodies 
that were sung many times previous to our departure 
from that town. 

JOHN P. BURNS 
John appears in two pictures. His write-up is on 
another page. 



70 fe 639TH AER 

WILLIAM J. SHANNON 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
3, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

A native of Chicago and the proud possessor of many 
sisters and brothers. Bill's correspondence was limited 
to the family — too young t<> be allowed to roam. Quiet. 
uls ''. and very observing. Knew the ins and outs of 
all of us. Hill, early in the game took to clerical work, 
thereby ducking the pick and shovel detail. Dodged 
with extreme cleverness all K. P., guard, and similar 
detail. Never let go of his temper. A keen Eollower 
of all sports. \\ .is the recipient of many letters, pack- 
ages and newspapers. In civil life was a hank clerk 
and hoped he might he able to assume his former 
responsible position. Gives promise of a great busi 
ness career. 

IRVING li. W'EISBLUM 

Entered the Arm; at Fort Slocum, New York. 
August IS, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

During our first days at Kelly Field, this young 
Brooklynite was seen wearing a suit of "ci\ics" in the 
chow line. The trousers had a large hole in the seat, 
and a cap ol bright green adorned his head. In Frame 
he spent a few of his holidays in Dijon and met a 
friend in the Marine Corps. As a member id" tin 
advance billeting detail to Marsas his first day was 
spent working hard shoveling coal. He was contented 
with ottice work and had little use for airplanes. He 
took pleasure in letter writing and was one of the most 
consistent in that respect in the Squadron. Took ami 
successfully passed the examinations for the grade of 
M. E. Held down with considerable ability and tact 
the difficult job of sergeant major. Because of his 
interest and conscientiousness, had every man's record 
complete, correct, and up to date. Because of seniority, 
was also called the acting first sergeant, though he 
did not exercise all of the duties. 

NICHOLAS TERMINIELLl I 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 21, 1417. Age. 21 years. 

Lame from "Noo Yawk," as he called it, and in his 
youth he passed his leisure time m the vicinity of 
Columbus "Coicle." Was made a Corporal early in 
the game, and held down that rankness with consid- 
erable credit Mis experiences ranged from pick and 
shovel details to squadron cartoonist through the 
various stages ol grease hound, mechanic and clerk. 
Despite bis earlier work, his band retained all its 
civilian nimbleness, as the cartoons in this hook, all 
but a tew ol which are his, will show. Some day we 
expect to see him appear on the funny pages of our 
Sunday papers. He was elected cartoonist for Contact 
and for the Squadron Book by unanimous vote. A 
good, sociable fellow, full of pleasantries, and the 
owner of a good sense of humor, with the added 
ability to express it in cartoons. "Home, my girl 



O SQUADRON 

Marie, and Columbus 'Coicle' for me 'toot sweet'," 
says Nick. 

ALEXANDER CZYSY 

Entered the Army at Camp Dcvens, Massachusetts, 
October 3, 1917. Age, 25 years. 

This soldier did his bit in the Army. Pick and shovel 
at Ourches gave Alex his first dose of real work. After 
that it was permanent K. P. "Fine eats, all you want 
'em" was bis favorite greeting to the hoys as they 
approached him for coffee. Played poker so that he 
might be a good citizen — also to learn to speak English 
fluently. Always quiet, never offended, no matter how 
much we joked with him. Enjoyed singing his own 
melodies, something he brought with him from the 
"( Hd Country." At Marsas, when off id' kitchen police, 
be drilled and took pleasure during spare moments in 
playing Russian Billiards. 

JOE A. PHILLIPS 

Entered tin Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 13. 1917. Aye, 18 years. 

"Ole Kaintuck" was the monnicker Joe usually car- 
ried around, and if you can accept his assurance, the 
"Blue Grass" State is the only real God's country on 
the west side of the pond. So clever in the culinary art 
that he was awarded cook's chevrons. A true friend 
of all hungry or voracious members of Pershing's 
"Fighting Force." Lost considerable weight, due to 
worry, when informed of the havoc wrought by the 
"prohibs" in bis natal state, and promised to- re-enlist 
tor foreign service unless the folks at home used better 
judgment and reconsidered their rashness. An author- 
ity on real "moonshine" and wanted only to return 
"toute de suite" to where be could loaf or work. 

ALFRED S. MADISON 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 19, 1917. Age, IS years. 

"Dolly" was the name bestowed upon this Iowan, 
who spent practically all his time while in the Aran 
in the kitchen, where he learned to "hall 'em out" 
under the supervision of the many mess sergeants. A 
large juvenile with rosy cheeks, who concealed the fact 
from everyone that he was a pianist but played his way 
into the heart of a mademoiselle at Marsas. "Dolly" 
enjoyed his one-day-on-aud-one-day-off job. He wanted 
to fly, but flew nothing but Army chow while with us. 
It didn't take much to make "Dolly" blush. Intends to 
re-enlist and learn Hying. 

CLYDE R. MORTON 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 11, 1917. Age, 19 wars. 

"Major" was a Southern gentleman from somewhere 
in the Carolinas. Always used on the tough details. 
Anything such as carrying water made him tired. De- 
lighted in using his strength to make short cuts, thereby 
earning a rest. Hated all the morning calls because 
back home-lie never had to get up in the morning. Con- 
sented to serve in the kitchen in order that we might 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



71 



receive real seasoned food. Clyde extended the boys an 
invitation to visit his home "where yon can rest, eat, 
and do what von waul, without having to come to 
attention." 

WILLIAM F. REYNOLDS 
Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 14, 1917. Age, 25 years. 

It there was anyone at any time who had a desire 
to put on the "gloves" he would find "Red" always 
waiting. Had we ever been in a position where vv e 
would have been obliged to engage in a "hand to hand" 
combat with the Boche, Michigan no doubt would see 
"Red" parading with many medals. His work at Kelly 
Field, Garden City, and Ourches, found him in the 
cooking establishment, where he made a specialty of 
cooking flap-jacks. He worked in various departments 
at Chatillon, and on one occasion prepared a dainty 
chicken dinner for Captain Fritz, which the Captain 
never received. 

FRANK PAUL 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, September 
-'1. I'M/. Age, .'(I years. 

"Cook" to us all, and ever ready to give all that the 
Quartermaster would allow the kitchen. Spent many 
weary hours learning recipes so that lie could turn out 
cakes, cookies, biscuits, and well cooked meals. Be- 
cause he served us much "corn willie" is nothing that 
we hold against him. Most of the K. P.'s disliked 
Frank because of his exactness. The Squadron as a 
whole was much indebted to him, both for his efforts 
and results. Frank was finally able to go to Italy on 
pass, a trip he had been trying for, for many long 
months. 

PETER F. McARDLE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
October 16, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

This gentleman was transferred into the Squadron 
shortly before our departure from New York, his home 
town. He had the misfortune of crushing his foot 
while at Ourches ami spent a short time in the hospital at 
Toul, where he made the acquaintance of a few Amer- 
ican nurses, which brought a little pleasure to his then 
miserable life. Was crew chief at Chatillon, and later 
mess sergeant. One of the top-notchers for letter 
writing, and gave enjoyment to many telling stories and 
singing comical songs. Was one of the neatest soldiers 
in the Squadron and posed occasionally for the camera 
man. 

BOYD SPARKS 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 1(>, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

A native of Kentucky and a nephew of "Dad" 
Crance. At various intervals he worked in the kitchen, 
where he rightfully belonged. Chatillon found him on 
the field working with the best of them. The boy was 
a "hum-dinger" for work and had an agreeable dispo- 
sition which lie wielded wheresoever he went. 



FRED R. BLoo.W 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 21, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

One of the old-timers. Said to know the Army game 
through and through. Pleased at the thought of being 
able to sport two service chevrons — somewhere in 
Conn. Fitted solid with the mess sergeant. Claimed 
that the Aviation branch of the Arm}' had too many 
high fliers for him ; preferred the Navy for that reason. 
At Chatillon, he held forth upon the living field, 
attending diligently to the wants of his "Sop." 

EDWARD T. JULSON 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, Septem- 
ber 21, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

"A task connot lie well accomplished unless it is 
given considerable thought," and Edward was a firm 
believer in this motto. No matter what he did he 
always first thought very much over it. Poker was a 
game that he liked real well, and more than one game 
was delayed and not completed on scheduled time 
because of the fact that Jtilson was playing. When 
Heiurich, Learning, and Edward, were on leave, Edward 
was the last of the trio to drink to the health of the 
1 hitchess and shake the hand of Secretary of \\ ar, 
Baker. Me was never known to throw francs away. 

JOHN L. ALLEN 

Entered the Army at Canandaigua, New York, March. 
0, 1918. Age, 24 years. 

A salesman, both by nature and by occupation. His 
line was an old one, but John never lost his smile or 
his nerve. Held the rank of chauffeur, through ability. 
Spoke French "influentially" and got away with it. 
Had more mademoiselles on the string than any stock 
company. Palled around with Dowdell, another motor 
gas youth, a town and camp favorite. Always looked 
for long trips or hearse driver's job, which gave him a 
chance to mar the photographer's view. Made good in 
the Squadron as an entertainer, giving frequent im- 
personations of the "hicks" back home. 

JAMES W'HOOLEY 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
2, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

A chauffeur of the first quality, having held down a 
truck seat ever since the Squadron started active duty 
at Ourches. He had many interesting stories to tell 
about his many trips to the surrounding cities and 
(.mills. He was one of our first to visit Paris, going 
with his truck and spending a couple of days there. 
While at that city he used one of the main thorough- 
fares for a garage. His truck was always in commis- 
sion, proving that he was a good mechanic. 

MICHAEL J. DOWDELL 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
November 24, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

One of the original "gas hounds" of the Squadron, 
a regular fellow and an excellent chauffeur. Known 




Julson Allen J.L. Wbooley Doiodell Murphy Coale Jones S-D. 

Stephens Hogan Thomas Norton Rxine 




LeBlanc ffanahan Hull -Shove Williams Sherbv/ 
Miller ' Roberts Raitan Tyrrell 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



73 



to his friends as "Mike" or "Joe". Made sure that his 
hardest job would be an easy one. Quit driving the 
touring car because the officers insisted on making long 
trips. Preferred the truck for lie was then sure of 
his meals. Never had to spend "jack", and there was 
always someone around to put him to bed. With his 
happy smile and ready supply of smokes, Joe was a true- 
friend of the "Gimmeites". 

EDWARD J. MURPHY 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 16, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

"Ed" was one of the oldest and most capable non- 
commissioned officers in the Squadron. At Ourches 
he was placed in charge of the Transportation and 
held the same position at Chatillon. Known to be one 
of those "non-coms" who was always looking out for 
the true interest of the Transportation and its men. 
Always in for a good time that did not interfere with 
business. His trip to Germany was a purely business 
trip. Sure it was. Made the Transportation Depart- 
ment of the Squadron a strong and efficient depart- 
ment. "Ed" was in the King's Army and was wounded 
at Arras. Later he forsook the King, moved to 
America and a few days later enlisted in the American 
Army. A hard worker and a good manager. 

JOHN H. CO ALE 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 14, 1917. Age, 18 years. 

What would his neighbors in Baltimore think if they 
saw John Harvey traveling around the wilds of France 
with the assistance of crutches. It was not because of 
advanced age, but because he had the bad luck to sprain 
his ankle twice. His experiences in France were of a 
varied nature and he turned out satisfactory work at 
each place. He had a narrow escape at Ourches, 
where he was a tractor expert, when Lieutenant Thaw 
passing over in a plane knocked the steering gear off 
the tractor Harvey was driving, necessitating Harvey's 
sudden departure under the hood. Good natured and 
fond of children. Was a member of the firm of "Holz 
& Coale" in the photographic business at Chatillon. 
Once a student of Captain Fritz' in Baltimore. Had 
the pleasure of meeting his brother while at Chatillon. 

SYLVESTER ~\ JONES 

Entered the Army at Camp . leade, Maryland, Sep- 
tember 20, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

The silent man of the Transportation. A good 
worker, real mixer. Agreeable and friendly. A Squad- 
ron booster. Believed that everyone had a lot of good 
in him. Supported the "Gimmeites" and enjoyed leave 
parties. Availed himself of School Transportation to 
visit as much of France as was allowable. Held the 
good will of everyone and was often asked to spell the 
name of the town he hailed from. A tireman by trade 
and did vulcanizing at Chatillon. A real fellow. 



WILLIAM J. STEPHENS 
Entered the Army at Fort Severen, Georgia, 
November 10, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

"\\ hiskers" was the first motorcycle driver in the 
outfit. With Ourches as his supply station, he "took 
in" the surrounding country. As a driver he was a 
"whale". While at Chatillon he stole trips to Germany, 
Troves, Dijon, and other towns. Was a born mechanic, 
hence he never worried about motor troubles. Passed 
his cycle and side car for a Packard truck for the 
reason that life at the 2nd Corps Aeronautical School 
was too soft to drift far away from. Along with 
Murphy and Dowdell he led the life of "Reilly" at 
Transportation Headquarters 

WILLIAM J. HOGAN 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 4, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

"Chauffeur Bill" or "Hash" was with us from the 
start. Next to the Quartermaster "Hash" had served 
out more corned willie than any other mess sergeant in 
France. While at Kelly Field Bill sure fed us in won- 
derful style, but when we hit France the Q. M. hit Bill 
and he in turn nearly killed us. His favorite pastime 
was "bawling 'em out." "Treat 'em rough," said Bill, 
"and you have it all your own way." As a worker 
and good fellow there were few who had anything 
on him. At Kelly Field, Bill wrote to his home news- 
paper, also to one at Albany and one at New York 
City. "Over There" his acquaintances were numerous, 
though Bill favored the cafe waitresses. On numerous 
occasions he gave exhibition clog dances. While a 
member of the Transportation he toured France. "This 
experience is worth a lot to me," said Bill, "when I get 
home I'll call the bluff out of any of them who start 
shooting the bull." At Marsas, where there were no 
trucks to drive, Bill returned voluntarily to the kitchen, 
much to the delight of the mess sergeant and the 
Squadron and the C. O. 

FREDERICK C. THOMAS 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 19, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Another so-called "haster" in our ranks, or at least 
"Red" Stehr called him that. Probably no member of 
the Squadron saw more of France, or at least under 
such pleasing conditions (a softly cushioned seat of a 
Cadillac) than did Fred. Early in his career as chauf- 
feur he guided a truck through miles of mud, but 
later the touring car fell to his lot. His common ex- 
cuse for being absent at reville was that he had a late- 
trip the night before. He was one of the "Gold Dust 
Twins", Ted Smith being the other. Regarding his 
experiences at Ourches he never tired relating stories 
regarding the numerous wild times he spent in search 
of "coo-coos". 

THOMAS F. NORTON 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 18, 1917. Age, 22 years. 



74 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



A "bean-eater" In birth, but a "non-chauffing chauf- 
feur" in Uncle Sam's fighting machine. A clever expo 
iicnt of the staid tendencies of the city from which he 
hailed. Gained distinction at Ourches and extinction at 
Chatillon, later "coming back" stronger than previously 
through his able management of the Transportation 
i ifiice, a job requiring beaucoup tact, necessitating so 
many pleasant refusals of officers' requests for unneces- 
sary transportation. "Tom" divined quite speedily 
whether 'twas business or "joy ride" that actuated a 
request. Made (he P. and M. detail famous and a 
pleasure, taking on weight himself through the medium 
of the officers' mess, unknown to them. A real sup- 
porter of the principles of Epicurus and a well liked 
all-around good fellow in spite of his work as editor 
in chief of the Squadron Book, to which office lie was 
selected at the Squadron Smoker. He wanted to re- 
turn to "civics" as soon as possible to enter politics and 
enjoy freedom once more. 

PAUL D. PAINE 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 4. 
1917. Age, 21 years. 

A proud product of Chicago who had hut one am- 
bition, and that was to get home. Paul was in charge of 
various details, later being assigned to the Transporta- 
tion. It was a pleasure for him to he the Colonel's 
chauffeur. This afforded Paul the opportunity to visit 
man} interesting places in France. Oftentimes he pre- 
sided at the piano. On the first night when the little 
French piano arrived at the "Y" tent in Ourches he was 
especially busy with the ivories. 

CAMILLE J. LeBLANC 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. 
November 25, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

With twenty-nine others, he was transferred into the 
Squadron at Chatillon, and he brought with him a 
fluent flow of the French language. He was with us 
only a short time when given a berth in the Transpor- 
tation Department, where he had no trouble in making 
good. His services as an interpreter were appreciated, 
as he was responsible for the arrangement of many 

:< 1 times. He played cards occasionally and was 

successful at a game of "Hearts" which he played at a 
lair maiden's home in Marsas. 

JOHN F. RANAHAN. JR. 

laitered the Ainu at Fort Slocum, New York, 
November 25, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

John E, Jr., hailed from Islip, New Y'ork, and to 
his town we owe main' thanks for sending such a man 
to France. He was a prominent figure at each enter- 
tainment and song fest the Squadron had. Worked 
with others on the pick and shovel detail at Ourches, 
and later in the Transportation at Amanty and Chatillon. 
He, with Paul Byrne, composed several parodies that 
were enjoyed, especially in the parade which was 
held the evening before we left Chatillon. Lemonade 



and milk, we are glad to state, were strong enough for 
"Kannie" during his time with the A. E. F. 

CECIL K. HULL 

Entered the Army at Fort Lawton, Washington, 
May Id, 1917. Age. 22 years. 

"Hones" was a chauffeur for the simple reason that 
it gave him a seat at all times. Carried his tools in 
his moleskin coat so as to have them handy at any 
minute. Drove a touring car that was held together 
with rope and soap. Always on the lookout for late 
parties. Hid very little hard work while at Ourches. 
Hit the trail and stuck to the water path, with a 
bucket. At times a frequent exhibitor of gymnastii s 

usually around ten p. m. The oldest soldier in point 
oi service in present enlistment, having "joined up" 
April 2, 1917. Intends to re-enlist. 

HARRY S. SHOVE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. 
December 14. 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Harry joined us at Chatillon and was put to work 
on the field where his ability on motors allowed him to 
transfer into the Transportation. This department 
placed him on the motorcycle, where be was at his 
best. While there be had opportunities to pay his 
respects to various cities and towns, also to acquaint 
lumsell with the camp celebrities. Always anxious to 
receive mail in order that he might know how he stood 
with those back home. Retired early, so as to read 
new.spapers and magazines and avoid mischief. Had 
quite a collection ot sweet snapshots, of which he was 
\ ery proud. 

THOMAS M. W ILLIAMS 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
2, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

Upon entering the \rim this man would roll one 
way as well as another, but constant exercise and Army 
rations .soon removed some of bis extra weight and he 
».i- able to make a respectable appearance. Speaking 
about automobiles, this man could give positive dates 
about almost every make. It has been his pleasure in 
the past to ride upon the front seat with the best of 
them. Motors were not new to him when he arrived 
for duty upon the field, and in "Chi" he will undoubt- 
edly tell them as much about airplanes as he told some 
of us about autos. One fault "Uncle Tom" had was 
his inability to keep silence in the ranks, his greatest 
pleasure being that oi talking. 

FRANCIS J. SHERBY 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, Xew York, 
August 17, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

This product of the "Bay State" at one time bad 
the distinction of being the most popular man in the 
outfit, as be was mail orderly and that person was 
always popular. But he soon graduated and during 
most of his stay in France held an exalted place upon 
the front seat of a truck, behind the wheel, from which 
position be was able to obtain a pretty lair view of a 



^Te639TH AERO SQUADRON 



75 



considerable amount of France. While holding this 
high position lie won his stripes, of which he was very 
proud. When Sherby had "Doc" Gain out on a trip 

lie always knew thai he was supposed to "step on her." 

JOHN P. MILLER 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, Xew York, 
August 16, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

"Scotti" was as chic as the)' make 'em. It would 
break his heart if his neatness were overlooked. Was 
a cook at Kelly Field before the name of "can-openers" 
was given that delegation. When at ( lurches he swuue 
his pick with the best of them, going to work with a 
crease in his overalls that cut the grass. Chatillon 
found him on the plane, and later on the Transportation 
roster. Found enjoyment in preparing for inspections 
and learning French. Took it very much to heart 
when bis name was not called at mail call. Was for- 
ever boosting Brooklyn and Xew York. 

WILLIAM B. ROBERTS 
Entered the Army at Camp Upton, New York, Sep 
tember 29, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

Most of us are satisfied now that this war is over, 
and much has been said about the possibilities of our 
being present in case of another war, but "Pepper" is 
of another frame of mind. He wants just one more 
war, and that with the Chinese. He has a particular 
liking for this race of people, so he told us one eve- 
ning in France. This citizen from Greenpoint also had 
another friend, a fireman by trade, of whom he often 
spoke. But putting aside his enemies and the troubles 
they caused him, he had a few pleasures, the greatest 
being the day he joined the Transportation. 

THOMAS E. RATTAN 

Entered the Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 
August 30, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

When the name of this gentleman was mentioned we 
naturally thought of the large cotton fields of Texas, 
where Tom resided as an agriculturist. Tom played 
cards occasionally for pastime — and francs. Liked to 
talk id" his work on airplanes in England, British disci- 
pline, and the difference in the mess that was placed 
in his mess kit at Chatillon. Upon the field his favorite 
ship was No. 27, and one day it became necessary for 
him to use a lasso to pull the ship down. He worked 
as a chauffeur and assisted in the kitchen at Marsas, 
where lie did his work willingly and well. 

PARK H. TYRRELL 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell, California, 
November 6, 1917. Age, IS years: 

"Tid" was one of our live wires, always taking part 
in anything that required pep. Shortly after our arri- 
val at St. Maixent the dampness and "Tid" did not 
agree, so he spent most of bis time while there in tin- 
hospital, much to the advantage of those members of 
the Squadron who were occupying beds in the same 
hospital and were billed for "light diet". At Ourches 



he ate with the officers and can tell the folks back 
home how hot apple pics were relished on the Western 
Front. Shakespeare was his favorite. At Marsas, and 
later at Genicart, he served in the capacit) of Squadron 
presser. 

IRA C. WAKEFIELD 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. 
August (), 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Ira first came into prominence when as one of "Ho- 
gan's hash hounds" he boiled radishes. As an assistant 
in the Supply he gained many friends by his genial and 
altruistic ways. At Ourches, Ira swung a pick as hard 
and as long as an) of them, and was a star at baseball. 
At Chatillon, the Radio heard of how hack home in 
Maine, Ira had been a telegraph operator, so claimed 
his services. Ducking Liberties and Sops got on Ira's 
nerve to such an extent that he was forced to take a 
leave. Conscientious, a hard worker, and quiet (except 
when someone made a disparaging remark about the 
Maine Central). 

EDGAR G. YARNEY 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, Xew York, 
August 16, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

The only man in the outfit from New Hampshire 
Was made famous by his winning smile and clever 
dances and songs. His characteristic position was run- 
ning up to an incoming outfit to see if there were any 
New Hampshire men in the company. "Ed" was a third 
lieutenant, missing out out on his commission because 
the war finished too soon. Made a successful clothing 
merchant in the Squadron. His greatest ambition was 
to work on Van Every \ farm after the war. Traveled 
extensively while in France. 

AARON COPELAND 

Entered the Army at Camp Meade, Maryland, Sep- 
tember 29, 1917. Age, 27 years. 

Aaron is not a professor of languages, but he cer- 
tainly should have been with his mastery of German, 
brench, Yiddish, Arabic and English. He claims Swit- 
zerland as his former residence and had the title of 
"Admiral of the Swiss Navy" conferred upon him while 
in the A. E. F. He was a busy gentleman upon our 
arrival at Brest, and later at St. Maixent, parleying 
with the French people. At the latter place, he acted 
as interpreter for the laundry man. Enjoyed himself 
always, but especially during the Jewish holidays. Not 
only did he prove himself a utility man, with reference 
to his linguistic abilities, but also showed that he could 
adapt himself to many kinds of work connected with 
the Squadron, such as helping John Burns in the Supply, 
as serving as officer's orderly, doctor's assistant, etc. 

RICHARD F. BEE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, Octo- 
ber 19, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

"He was as busy as a bee" could well as applied to 
this individual. After meeting the convoy escorts on 
the way to France, it was a pleasure for Dick, and 




Wakefield Vorne\) Copelcmd 
Zesinger Knowles Sennolf J.RBurns 




Weeks Johnson We-stby Quirw JWPaul 
Holz Cudworth Knut-son Widcjer 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



77 



other Eormer telegraphers, to try to read the messages 

that were sent from the wireless stations. This product 
of Medford, Massachusetts, also kept the women at 
Ourches busy cooking dainty meals for him, as he had 
been blessed with a "bon appetit." On Sundays, he 
occupied his time parleying with the mademoiselles of 
Vaucouleurs. Most of his time in the Army was spent 
in the Supply game, where he demonstrated his ability 
as a clerk. An ambitious young man, and a hustler. 

WILLIAM R. ZESINGER 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 7, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

Bill hails from South Bend, Indiana, and hit our 
squadron at Kelly Field in December, 1917, arriving 
from the lines at Kelly Field after doing his share of 
guard duty amidst the sandstorms. He fell in love 
with the "Top" when placed on duty at Garden ( ity, 
Xew York, after answering sick call that morning. He 
spent a short time in the hospital at St. Maixent, but 
later enjoyed hot apple pies on the Western Front. At 
Ourches he received passes to Toul, Nancy, and other 
places of interest. At Chatillon, bis ambitious turned 
towards aerial gunnery, and bis services as aerial gun- 
nery instructor brought him deserved promotion. 

ERNEST A. KNOWLES 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 6, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Although his home is in New England, he is not the 
gentleman who entered the Maine woods some time 
ago with nothing on but his birthday suit. At Ourches, 
he was ill for some time, but after leaving that station 
he enjoyed his stay in France, and on occasions he sur- 
prised the multitude with his Biblical readings. He did 
good work in the Supply department at Chatillon, even 
though he never answered the telephone calls, and 
showed those in charge that he had had previous ex- 
perience at that work. Another man with good ambi- 
tion and energy. 

HENRY P. SENNOTT 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 18, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

This non-chauffing chauffeur hailed from somewhere 
on the Atlantic Coast. He was a type of "good soldier," 
due to the fact that he got his early training at Fort 
Slocum where he learned that it was advisable to keep 
his own counsel. He took delight in relating the his- 
tory of the 26th Division. His work in the Squadron 
was pick and shovel, supply work, and as gunnery ex- 
pert in the Armory. It was his good fortune to be 
sent to the Aerial Gunnery School at Tours. This was" 
a vacation that pleased him. He favored the French 
families with his real American smile and gold tooth. 
At Ourches, he won a medal and almost the heart of a 
fair maid who sold cigars to him daily. 



JOHN B. BURNS 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 17, 1917. Age, 27 years. 

"Honest John" was the cognomen wished on the 
above subject, and no one ever assailed its appropriate- 
ness. A red genius, inasmuch as he acquitted himself 
of the duties of supply sergeant to the equal satisfac- 
tion of the C. O. and the men, a seeming impossibility. 
Had no enemies, although he argued with every man 
in the outfit. Was responsible for the first literary 
activity- in the Squadron, when he published the "Daily 
Squeak" at Ourches, serving later on the editorial 
staffs of "Contact" and the Squadron Book. He got 
the best the Quartermaster had in the clothing line, and 
always knew when the Q. M. received a shipment. 
Passed a successful examination for grade of sergeant 
first class, but the vacancies expected with a change of 
organization did not materialize. 

LEON I. WEEKS 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 20, 1917. Age, 21 years 

This gentleman was with the Squadron when we 
left Kelly Field and was later known in the A. E. F. 
as the "Iron Burner," due to the fact that he was a 
blacksmith and possessed an iron grip. He had the 
misfortune of losing some of his equipment while 
celebrating in one of the cars on our way to the Front. 
He was fond of boxing and clever at the game. On 
one occasion he mistook the waterbag for a man he 
was after and sparred with the innocent lyster bag 
for several moments before he realized his mistake. 

OSCAR G JOHNSON 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October S, 
1917. Age, 29 years. 

Oscar ranked next to "Abe" Boiler when it came to 
receiving mail, but the out-going bags did net contain 
as many of Oscar's epistles as it did those from "Abe." 
The only cause we can think of is the fact that Oscar 
is a "benedict". He showed his ability as a machinist 
at Chatillon and was a champion at the game of bil- 
liards at Marsas where he met and defeated the best 
of them. Yery quiet and seldom committed himself, 
but occasionally said, "I wish I were home." 

LLOYD V. W'ESTBY. 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber IS, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

This gentleman was among the large number that 
were transferred into the Squadron at Kelly Field in 
December, 1917, shortly before we entrained for Gar- 
den City. He was one of the first men to do transpor- 
tation work at Ourches, driving a truck at first and 
later working in the shop. At Chatillon he worked in 
the machine shop and through hard work increased his 
rating and pay. After this took place he let us know- 
that he was prosperous and smoked nothing but cigars 



78 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



when they were obtainable. At Genicart he was one 
of the sergeants in charge of the "cootie mill." 

NICHOLAS S. QUINN 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
Vugust 16, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

This gentleman had the distinction of having more 
friends than any other member of the Squadron. 
Through hi-* knowledge of guns and mechanical ability 
he was offered a position as an inspector of arms, with 
a good salary and "stay-at-home" job, hut turned it 
down in order to go to France as a soldier. Hi- was 
anxious to fly, even after having been in an airplane 
accident, which, fortunately, resulted in no one being 
injured. Especially quiet, but can tell his friends of a 
few good times he had while in the service. During 
his spare tune he did barbering and raked in some 
extra francs. 

h MIX \\. PAUL 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. 
August 17, 1917 Age, 25 years. 

"Kill' had his trials and troubles and quit the Army 
a wiser boy. He was always willing and ready to get 
the other fellow's point of view. Mill labored with 
the best (if them at Ourches. At Chatillon he hit the 
hall hard, making good in the machine shop. This cer- 
tainly was his "regular line" and he seemed the most 
pleased man in the outfit, even though he did remark at 
times that he wished he was hack in the Artillery. He 
was a movie fan, consistent letter writer, and was fond 
mi drilling men. 

EDWIN K. HOLZ 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, Septem- 
ber 8, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

This man knew motors pretty well and aided in the 
transportation at Ourches by his consistent supervision. 
Assisted in and later took charge of the magneto 
room at Chatillon. He played the picture game for 
all it was worth and during his spare moments was 
seen studying. Owner of numerous souvenirs, among 
which are many notes receivable. However, Ed is on 
the long end of the sheet. A man of strong moral 
character. Select as to friends and in the manner he 
spent, or held on to his money. 

GEORGE T. CUDWORTH 
Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November IS, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

This product of Assounet. Massachusetts, though 
young in years, tried to appeal ami have the wisdom of 
a man. At cards he would call, provided he had four 
of a kind. As for Iron Crosses, it was not uncom- 
mon for him to lay down fifty francs for a single speci- 
men. And as for trips to Paris, he helped himself. 
"Rouge" can tell exactly what the French itch is like, 
as he had a little experience with it at one time. Hav- 
ing spent a part of his life in Boston, he enjoyed a 
mess of beans and allowed no one to reproach the 
Hub-of-the-Universe. 



LLOYD H. KNUTSON 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 15, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Cozad, the home of Knutson, was never heard of 
by any member of the Squadron previous to our meet- 
ing "Knut." During our stay in France, the little town 
of Cozad was well advertised by its agent, Knut. It 
was his pleasure to tell how he supervised the harvest- 
ing of hay and grain, and instead of using the command 
"Double time" he substituted, "Come on a runnin'." 
He worked as a cook at Ourches, and also as mechanic 
in the Transportation Department. He was later in 
charge of the machine shop at Chatillon. Billiards and 
cards had a strong appeal to Knut. 

JAY K. WIDGER 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. 
August 21, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

When this man arrived at Kelly Field he selected 
the kitchen at his home. He knew little of the culinary 
art but was willing to learn. Lemon extract to flavor 
meat gravy was one of his first experiments in cook- 
ing. He was fond of kicking the "Top" out of the 
kitchen On leaving the States, he left the "Water 
Burner's Union" and fell into line with the rest of 
us. Arriving in France, he saw a possibility of getting 
something more to his liking, and when the Squadron 
began doing service work he was again associated with 
his old companions, motors. 

JAMES W. TRUSSELL 

Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
December 8, 1917. Age, 38 years. 

Here is represented another man with a "Dad" pre- 
fix, who was transferred into the Squadron in August, 
1918. We often thought that this soldier camouflaged 
his age a trifle in order to do his bit in the great war. 
He enjoyed his spare moments, after the signing of 
the armistice, in the manufacture of canes. No doubt 
you will see several former A. E. F. men sporting one 
of "Dad's" canes on Fifth Avenue. Has traveled much 
and is very well read. Finds pleasure in talking to the 
boys on motors of any kind, particularly on tractors. 

IRVING ACKERMAX 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
October 23, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

A young X T ew Yorker thoroughly trained in Eng- 
land on the motors. Entered the Squadron at Chatillon- 
sur-Seine. Never had been higher than a private, 
though he would a pilot be. Had eleven flying 
hours to his credit, also beaucoup francs. Was a 
member of the firm of Ackerman and Ladenson. This 
firm had a corner on their line of goods — profits any- 
where from fifty to one hundred per cent; but 
neither member could pass at inspection. A firm advocate 
mi" permanent special duty. Had all the qualifications 
of an officer, excepting the bars, though these, too, has 
he sold. 



MHH HHH 




TVussell flckerman Warrick Yohe Cochrane 
Phoebus Reiferf Demmon Pilgram Jessup 




Umlauf Imhoff Hicks 
Vensky GCAIIen 



Crance Taylor Curren 

Boiler Former) Hallinan 



80 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



ELVIN WARRICK 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, ( )hio, 
November 13, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

Toledo, and neighboring towns, will hear many 
interesting stories from Warrick, who, in drawling 
tones, we believe will tell of his experiences in France. 
This gentleman had many narrow escapes while on the 
field and on furlough. He was one of our best chess- 
players and was fond of literature. His enlistment 
into the Army took him from home for the first time 
and he has no doubt profited a great deal by his ex- 
periences. Morally, he was the best of men, and was 
satisfied with coffee as a stimulant. 

THOMAS F. YOHE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 17, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

As a linguist, this man could not be beaten. His 
vocabulary contained countless new words, and as for 
speaking French, he was very fluent. Let it be said 
of Tom that although he gained the dislike of the pri- 
vates at Kelly Field, he was not a bad soldier in 
France. His ingenuity afforded much amusement, for 
he constructed our first aeroplane long before we 
crossed the sea, and always had something original 
with which to entertain the boys. As a cup winner, he 
took first prize for "ground time," frequently getting 
more time on the ground than in the air. "Bum dogs" 
was his nickname at one time, but upon our completion 
of pick and shovel work at Ourches, the "dogs" came 
around. While residing at Chatillon, he operated an 
ammunition junk shop, causing his neighbors many a 
sleepless night, expecting to lie blown into eternity every 
time Tom moved his barrack bag. He spent much 
time and effort on the pots and kettles at Marsas and 
Genicart. 

CLARENCE E. COCHRANE 
Entered the Army at Camp Travis, Texas, Septem- 
ber 20, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

Very few men of the Squadron knew that Clarence 
had a half interest in a "quick lunch" cafe back in 
Oklahoma. Cooking was an art lie seldom spoke of, 
for he knew that at one time, had it been known that 
be was a skilled kitchen mechanic, he would have 
been assigned to do his bit in the kitchen. "The Squaw 
Man," as he was known to his friends, is one of those 
happy continually jumping individuals, forever on good 
terms with every man in the Squadron. Had a great 
liking for hard work and plenty of it. Was fond of 
"bunk fatigue" and his upper berth was occupied by 
him on an average of 14 hours a day. 

PERCY H. PHOEBUS 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 4, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

The largest problem any member of the A. E. F. 
ever had confront him, provided he knew this gen- 
tleman, was, "Who named him Percy, any way?" 



Surely, although he has caused no trouble, we do not 
consider it an appropriate name for him. He is small 
in stature, but possesses an abundance of importance. 
We never could understand how "Petit" was placed 
in the second platoon with men all taller than himself. 
He was among the first in the Transportation. Worked 
on the field at Chatillon. Was a good booster for 
Hackettstown. An admirer of mademoiselles and soft 
drinks. 

LAWRENCE REIFERT 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 13, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

Toledo sent a man who assisted the Squadron in 
many ways. A fair maid of St. Germain taught this 
soldier to parlez vous. He did a great deal of car- 
pentering when the camp at Ourches was being con- 
structed, and later proved himself capable at Chatillon, 
assembling, aligning, and rebuilding airplanes. He was 
quiet, fond of literature that was instructive with re- 
gard to his daily duties. A sociable fellow and popular 
among the rest of the men of the outfit. 

ERNEST DEMMON 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 15, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

A quiet, persistent worker. Earned his two stripes 
and always did a good day's work without kicking. At 
Ourches "Dem" was to be found carting hangar beams 
all over the field, much to the delight of the lazy ones. 
During our early days upon the field at Chatillon, it 
was a common sight to see this soldier as 'he passed 
among the ships with his pail of "dope," leaving his 
mark upon every plane before he left. Learned con- 
struction of planes thoroughly, and took an interest in 
his work. 

HENRY W. PILGRAM 

Entered the Army at Camp Dodge, Iowa, September 
21, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

When we think back to the evening previous to our 
departure from Garden City, and the wrestling matches 
held at the barracks, we think of "Pill," who met and 
floored all who came his way. He worked hard, with 
never a complaint, at Ourches, on the excavating and 
construction of the hangars. He was fond of good 
times and anxious to make friends, which he had no 
trouble in accomplishing, as he was one of the most 
popular fellows in the outfit. At Chatillon, he worked 
in the Engineering and Repair Department, and by 
conscientious work gained his stripes. 

CLIFFORD JESSCP 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, August 
12, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

Whether this gentleman was the same quiet individual 
back in Iowa, or whether the horrors of war were the 
cause of his silence, is not known. But we have applied 
to "Jess" the saying, "By their deeds ye shall know 
them," and can say that he always did his work well, 



5fe 6 3 9TH AERO SQUADRON 



81 



regardless of what his duties were He worked as a 
carpenter in the construction of the camp at Ourches, 
and later in the E. & R. shop at Chatillon. He is fond 
of his good times, and enjoyed more than one while in 
France. He is an authority on airplane propellers. 

ALFRED UMLAUF 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 21, 1917. Age, 31 years. 

"Al," as he was known, showed the hoys that he 
had the goods. His work at Kelly Field in the kitchen 
and at various places in Frame always nut with the 
favor of all. At Kelly Field he started a small bon- 
fire in his tent one nice summer evening and was given 
an unexpected shower hath by a man who acted as 
fireman. He was a good mechanic, carpenter, and a 
painter of no mean ability. His work was an asset to 
the Squadron. "Al" was one of those fellows who 
always favored prohibition. 

JAMES F. IMHOFF 

Entered the Army at Camp Meade, Maryland, 
November 6, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

"Jim," as he was known in the A. E. F., possessed 
many good traits, among which we may mention that 
he was a conscientious worker. He was always on 
the job around the barracks, but no matter bow busy 
always found time to listen to news that the war would 
soon end, while after the signing of the Armistice he 
welcomed "going home" news. He was a constant 
patron of the movies and other entertainments, and 
made many calls at the "Y" — especially when there 
were any female canteen workers present. He almost 
won the heart of one of the fairer sex in Chatillon. 

ROY L. HICKS 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 14, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

The boy with the "mean left." Worked in all of 
the several occupations in the Squadron. At Garden 
City, for some misdemeanor, Roy was detailed to wash 
the barracks windows, also to do the same going over 
on the boat. As there w-ere no windows to be washed 
on the boat, Roy felt as though he was "putting some- 
thing over." Liked whatever he was told to do, for 
no matter how mean a job it was Roy always found 
something funny about it. Took great enjoyment in 
sports. Believed in open criticism and shunned all 
non-coms. Was first in mess line and first for seconds, 
always. 

BOYD CRANCE 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 16, 1917. Age, 38 years. 

"Dad" to the boys. "Handy man" to the orderly 
room. Barber when broke. Downtown student of 
French when hungry. An authority on the history of 
Kentucky and railroading. Believed that the people 



back home committed a sin against the A. E. F. by- 
placing the U. S. on a "hone dry" basis. Claimed that 
this impediment to one's rights might easily be over- 
come by a little nerve. Always a hard worker. Hated 
all non-coms; wouldn't be one if he could. Liked 
inspection, as it afforded him an opportunity to show up. 

THOMAS L. TAYLOR 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 14, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

The town of Colby, Kansas, sent a good representa- 
tive when they sent "Tom," who became a member of 
the 639th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field shortly before 
our departure for "Over There." After our arrival at 
Saint Maixent, "Tom" worried considerably for fear 
that the Squadron woidd never do service, and that 
he would be S. O. L. His quiet attitude and willingness 
to help others won him many friends. No doubt he 
will tell his friends back home how he won a leather 
medal in a sleeping contest at Ourches ; also of the 
enjoyment derived from buying and smoking cigarettes 
in France — things that he cannot do at home. 

ERNEST CURREN 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 11, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

An artist of nature, surrounded by beautiful French 
models. Who could ask for more? Such was the 
pitiful lot of Ernest when he came to France to fight 
for home and liberty. Nevertheless, he made the best 
of it and saw a thing or two. Long hikes to him were 
nothing, and undoubtedly he saw much of interest 
while away. As to sleep, this man was a past master 
at that art; "Early to bed and late to rise" was his 
motto. His artistic abilities gained him popularity as 
a brass shell decorator, and it was a common sight to 
see him drawing designs for his friends to pound out. 
He once won a watch in a raffle, which was more luck 
than most of us could boast of. He was the original 
inventor of the bunk cabinet for the head of one's 
bunk, this being copied by his comrades who built like 
conveniences. 

GUSTAV VENZKE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
November 21, 1917. Age, 27 years. 

The smallest man in the outfit, and transferred into 
the Squadron from the 229th Aero Squadron at Garden 
City shortly before our departure from that station. 
He gained some publicity after the first publication of 
"Contact," as "Battler" was advertised as one of our 
top-notch pugilists. It was "Battler" who sang the 
first song at the Squadron Smoker and surprised the 
audience with his melodious baritone. He was always 
in trouble when it came to getting anything like a 
correct fit in the clothing line. "I'm Tying the Leaves 
so They Won't Come Down" was sung by Venzke with 
great success before a large and appreciative audience 
one night in February. 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



GEORGE C. ALLEN 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
December 15, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

George was ever willing and ready to listen to any- 
one's complaint;-, and was verj sympathetic. These 
qualities have enabled this soldier to enjoy his life in 
the Army. At Chatillon, he favored the "Y" during 
Miss Mann's presence. Worked on the field during 
our entire stay at the 2nd Corps Aeronautical School, 
where he "picked up" a great deal of experience on 
the Liberty motors. A good mixer. Never enjoyed 
Ins sojourns in the kitchen, hut made the most of them, 
as he was anxious to put on a few extra pounds. 

EBERHART .1. l'.OLLER 

Entered the Aran at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
2, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

"Abe" proved himself a soldier, hut not a sailor; 
during our voyage from Hoboken to France he spent 
many a sleepless night. One commodity that cost "Abe" 
considerable francs in France was stationery. It was 
his daily duty to correspond with some fair maiden in 
the vicinity of Wausau. IK undoubtedly can give the 
mail service of the A. E. F. a boost by presenting his 
statistics. His cackling laugh was appropriate, especially 
when we were quartered in billets at (lurches and 
Marsas. Due to training and ability, this man won the 
coveted M. E. berth in our Squadron — something we 
were all glad to see him win. Although not possessing 
a remarkable voice, lie enjoyed singing "K-K-K-Katie." 

LOUIS FORMAN 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell. California, 
November 16, 1917. Age, 18 years. 

Though Louis never put the steel into a "Hun," lie 
had his troubles with barbed wire entanglements, going 
over the top quite often. While at Ourches, he labored 
all day with the pick and shovel and favored our little 
tramway with heaucoup overtime. This, the soldier 
claimed, was worth what be had enjoyed. At Chatillon, 
as a member of the Top Kick's squad, be sure beat the 
Army. An elegant speaker on the charms of the Pacific 
Coast, though he did not hail from there. A continual 
smile, a frozen band, and a flower} tongue 

\\ \1.TKK HALKINAN 

Entered the Army at Camp Upton, New York, 
October S, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

"Mutts" was so quiet that his presence was overlooked 
by many, Never a growl or dissenting word from 
Walter. At Ourches, with the pick and shovel brigade 
be did more than his bit, and was usually to be found 
on the heavy end of a job "rearing to go." In charge 
of Barracks No. o at Chatillon, Walter worked hard 
at all times, so that his "charge" was always prepared 
for inspection. Forever anxious to obtain newspapers, 
so that he could follow the doings of his three brothers 
who were in khaki. 



FRANK h. IK \NEK 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, Septem- 
ber 17, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

When Chicago sent this man to the Army little did 
she realize to what extent she was about to impose 
upon that organization. Nevertheless, we were made 
aware of the fact that he had entered the Service, for 
he settled in our midst. We often thought that things 
must he rather quiet back home with him away, as his 
powers oi speech were continually receiving training 
Upon the flying field his frequent call for "a little help 
on Hi" became a by-word, and he was not speechless 
upon the day when he found his best russet shoes, 
which he had taken to the hangar to be cleaned, filled 
with soft soap and graphite. Often upon his return 
from town just previous to taps being blown, his voice 
would rise above all others in the barracks as he gave 
vent to bis "hot dog" yell and acclaimed to all who 
might listen regarding the wonders of "Chi." 

EDWARD J. KENNEDY 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, September 
22, 1917. Age, 2d years. 

No doubt the Commanding Officer looked up this 
man's record, as Edward was one of those selected to 
do M. P. duty at Ourches. This gentleman will un- 
doubtedly hold many an interested audience in "Chi" 
telling of the trench life and his "Nieuport" on the 
\\ estern Front. "Tiny" was not an appropriate name 
for a man of his size, but he was probably christened 
thus because of bis splendid attendance at sick call. 
On November 11 he was among the first of the 639th 
Squadron to let Chatillon know that we bad received 
the good news and were going to celebrate the victory. 
(heel lul rumors were welcomed by him at all times. 

CALEB L. YORK 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Novem- 
ber 11, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

A "Hoosier" by birth, but anything but that in the 
literal sense of the word. Earned bis nickname as 
"Screw-driver" at Ourches because he dropped one of 
those articles into the differential gear while repairing 
a camion, and then forgot to remove it. Rendered 
excellent services in the capacity of chauffeur, airplane 
crew chief, and lastly, as Top Kick. Possesses a bear 
of a voice for that job and made the most popular and 
the most useful Top Sergeant the outfit ever had — a 
man among men. Is a wonderful entertainer, and was 
the village cut-up back in Silverwood, Indiana. Spent 
several years at Purdue to satisfy his ambition to 
become a veterinary. Accomplished heaucoup with the 
Frog lingo, hut always remembered the "girl he left 
behind." Belonged to the category who could not bid 
"an revoir" to the khaki too soon. 

JAMES J. KLEMA 
Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
October 26, 1917. Age, 22 years. 







: : '—?— - . - i .111 m i' 

MilleH Schultz Armstrong, Vbr> Every Morns Barrons 

M c Govern, RKMortori Parks Whi+worfn Redman 



84 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



Little did "Jay Jay" think when he left Cicero with 
his cards, "I. J. Klema, After the Kaiser," that he 
would he taken a prisoner in the Battle of Chatillon on 
the day the Armistice was signed. However, he was 
not detained long by the "Germans." J. J. was down 
to weight shortly after our arrival at Ourches, the 
cause of which is still a mystery in many minds. He 
was entertained by friends in Pagny-sur-Meuse, and 
entertained the Squadron by rendering vocal selections 
on several different occasions at Chatillon. He also 
possessed the talent of a poet. 

FRANK PAVLIK 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, September 
IS, mi 7. Age, 23 years. 

"Pav" was one of the best soldiers in the outfit. 
\\ hen nature endowed that soldier with the shoulders 
she did it was done for a purpose, said purpose being 
to be assigned to nearly all the heavy details. Quiet, 
unassuming, and willing to do whatever he was told. 
Pick, shovel, and wheelbarrows helped to put him in 
condition for the bard labor at Chatillon. There he 
labored on the field and did good work. Hailed from 
Chicago, and was more than anxious to return there. 

CHARLES F. WADDELL 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
5, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

Another Chicagoan, and like a few more of our old- 
timers, had the monniker "Dad" conferred upon him 
while in the Army. Shortly previous to our departure 
from Garden City, New York, this gentleman was very 
sick and for a day or two it was doubtful whether or 
not be would be able to make the trip with us. Although 
the Squadron was held in quarantine at St. Maixent, 
"Dan McCarthy" saw a good portion of the city. 
Ourches saw him as a tractor expert, while at Chatillon 
he was chief of one of the hangars. In the parade in 
Chatillon "Dad" held down the pilot's seat in the 
mounted fuselage. He expected to re-enlist. 

PAUL FUGLEBURG 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell, California, 
November 22, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

Here we have before us one of the firm of Connor 
& Fugleburg, souvenir manufacturers and distributers. 
Speaking of persons with extensive linguistic abilities, 
this man on occasions had them all beat. He could 
give more details concerning percentages than any 
mathematician. Regarding the making of bunks, he 
had us all beat; about three swings and a couple of 
jabs and his blankets were spread and tucked, ready 
for bis later return and a good night's sleep. Although 
a mechanic on the field, this young man could doll up 
in a tailored uniform, cap placed jauntily upon one ear, 
go to town, and win a salute from any rookie. Cannot 
be convinced that the M. P.'s won the war. 



WILLIAM R. FRASER 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, August 
6, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

One of the hardest working boys in the outfit. Willing 
to entertain at all times, even if he had to eat glass to 
do so. Famous for his capacity and ability to eat 
glass. A soldier who had received the full reward for 
his work. Had seen active service in the kitchen at 
Kelly Field, St. Maixent, and Ourches. One of the 
only three real cooks in the outfit. (Made fine cakes.) 
Opposed to prohibition and made arrangements to go 
to Kentucky with "Dad" Crance. Had the knack of 
finding a "home" and holding on to it while in France. 
Built and Hew an airplane in Canada, and, therefore, 
joined the Air Service soon after war was declared. 

CONSTANTINE G. JUDEIK1S 
Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
2, 1917. Age, 27 years. 

It is a saying that "large bodies move slowly," but 
this cannot be truthfully applied to Constantine. Many 
who worked with him in the excavating game at 
Ourches often remarked that be did more than his 
share. His pick was busy from morning till night. 
While there the non-coms did not have to inform him 
that each swing meant one more knock on the Kaiser's 
head. He was always contented and often remarked 
that any place he hung his hat was "Home Sweet 
Home" to him. He always wore his overseas cap 
tilted to one side like many other "reckless 'aviators," 
and practised the French custom of economy always. 
Quite often, when many were borrowing francs and 
sous, this gentleman was flush with them. 

REGINALD C. MILLETT 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 16, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

This elongated specimen of humanity first saw light 
in Boston, which city he will always claim for bis 
residence. Varied have been his experiences since 
entering the Service, especially so in France. He can 
never be forgiven by a few for the night be piloted 
the weary guard relief over the hills at Ourches amid 
a roar of big guns, and finally landed them upon the 
banks of the Meuse before he became wise as to his 
whereabouts. At Amanty, as supervisor of the Squadron 
details, he also had his troubles. All the French 
maids fell for Reggie and the rats liked him so well 
that they ate his clothing, necessitating a visit to the 
Belgian girls for repairs. "Stringhean" was his Army 
nickname. 

LAWRENCE E. SCHCLTZ 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 13, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

An authority on the steam engine. He took delight 
in explaining the advantages of the American-made 
locomotive over those of foreign countries. When 
put on any kind of technical job, it would take him but 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



85 



a short time to master it. Was fond of relating his 
past accomplishments. Spent much time in studying 
motors, as he was of the opinion that the future of 
the automohile would be promising. Was well versed 
on all 'labor problems and often remarked that "lie was 
sorry he did not attend Officers' Training Camp." 

GEORGE E. ARMSTRONG 
Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 25, 1917. Age, 17 years. 

Ability, dormant. There were few jobs in the Army 
that appealed to George. He never lost a pound in 
weight, as he knew the combination to every mess 
hall and availed himself of the same. He broke more 
pick, shovel, and rake handles than any other man in 
the outfit. There were only two calls that appealed to 
George — pay and mess calls — and he always took special 
care to be present, fearing that somebody might get 
something on him. Felt that his vacation in the Army 
built him up, and after the signing of the Armistice, 
anxiously awaited the homeward bound transport. 

RIPLEY VAN EVERY 

Entered the Army at Camp Lewis, Washington, 
November 5, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

Gained prominence in the Squadron at Chatillon 
through his promotion and subsequent article in "Con- 
tact." Continually wore a smile, and, although a 
trifle phlegmatic, did his work well. He possessed the 
mildest disposition of any man in the outfit. "Kip" or 
"Van" hailed from Rupert, Idaho, to which place he 
was affectionately attached. He often promised that he 
would give anyone a job on bis farm, and this strongly 
appealed to Sergeant Varney. Rip proved to be a 
banker of exceptional promise. 

FORREST L. MORRIS 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 13, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

Music hath its charms, and so had Morris. He was 
one of the most agreeable men in the Squadron and an 
exceptionally good bugler, for which we had a iust 
right to be proud of him. On state occasions, his 
notes did justice to the event. Filled in, in several of 
the most important positions in the Squadron. Was a 
previous Service man, whose training proved to be of 
advantage to many. Believed that he had worn the 
khaki long enough and wanted to get back to railroad- 
ing. Was a consistent worker for the best interests of 
the Squadron. 

WILLIAM T. BARRANS 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 27, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

School teachers are usually of a retiring nature, and 
this was true of Bill. One of his greatest pleasures 
while in Chatillon was that of retiring to his upstairs 
bunk and indulging in a period of reading or writing. 
This individual was also somewhat of an electrician, 



but was not popular as such among the boys, because 
he occasionally got his wires mixed, resulting in dark- 
ness for the rest of us until fuses could be located. 
Had ambition to be a pilot. In speaking of the most 
exciting incidents in his Army career, he told of tin- 
night he had spent on the upper deck of the Agamemnon 
when the lifeboats dipped in the sea and caps were of 
necessity placed over the smokestacks to prevent the 
water from running down them and putting the furnaces 
out. 

JAMES A. McGOVERN 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. August 
17, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

"Commander-in-Chief" of the Police and Mainten- 
ance. He was also the non-commissioned officer in 
charge of the wood detail at Ourches. "Mac" was by 
nature a man's man. He could kid them when neces- 
sary and "bawl 'em out" when circumstances warranted 
it. Always produced. The men enjoyed working 
under him, for when the job was finished one could 
quit, a rare quality in a non-commissioned officer. His 
one hope was to get back to "Bean Town" and see his 
own. He did not like France or French fires, but was 
always happy and ready to entertain. He was among 
the lucky ones in obtaining a "home" at Ourches. 

RUSH R. MORTON 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 19, 1917. Age, 14 years. 

"Soldier" was without doubt one of the most capable 
mechanics in the Squadron. His retiring disposition 
had allowed many to wear that to which Rush was justly 
entitled. This young man never complained, feeling 
that we were there to do our bit. If we got credit, all 
right; if we were overlooked, our conscience was in 
no way troubled. Always wore a happy smile which 
did justice to his pearl-white teeth. Rush had the credit 
of being on good terms with every man in the outfit. 

JOSEPH J. PARKS 

Entered the Army at Fort Douglass, Utah, November 
1, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

Joe's ability to handle the pick brought forth the 
interesting fact that he had been a miner out in the 
Butte district. This experience proved of value to him 
at Ourches, where for many long weeks we labored 
with such tools. A very quiet fellow and always ready 
to work. During his time off, he took pleasure in 
reading and taking long walks. Had many friends in 
the Squadron. 

HENRY W. WHITWORTH 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, August 
21, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

A man of artistic nature. Handy with the brush when 
it came to decorating some object like a fuselage. 
Especially so regarding the one we drew through the 
streets of Chatillon on our last night there. As to his 
mechanical ability upon the field, he was proud of his 



86 



<3fe 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



"A. R." and when the Libert} planes began to arrive 
he lost no time in getting one of them, that lie might 
become acquainted with the mechanism of the motor 
at once. 

GUY \\ REDMAN 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 28, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

It was well that France had a good supply of mirrors 
for sale while we were there, for without them this 
"guy" would never have been contented. Owing to the 
large supply, it was possible for "Red" to have one. 
He availed himself of the opportunity to look at Ins 
pleasant countenance frequently. He was among the 
"can-opener crew" at one time at Ourcbes, and later 
at Chatillon, where he also worked on the field and 
rendered good service. During his spare time he 
enjoyed boxing and ranked among the best in the 
Squadron. 

VITO BUONO 

Entered the Army at Camp Upton, New York, 
September 23, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

lust because this gentleman was commonly seen at 
Ourches with a hatchet and level, and was known 
there as the "level man," did not signify that he was a 
weakling and could not do manual labor. This he 
proved to many one da\ when he carried a Four 
hundred-pound stone upon his shoulders, resembling 
the Atlas of old. At Chatillon he had the misfortune 
of losing a pair of breeches, and when "first call" 
sounded his cry of "Who stolla da britch" met with 
no response. The fact that General Orders would not 
permit him to visit friends in Italy peeved him, as he 
told us on several occasions. 

HARRY M. WTTTEBORN 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 21, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

This man gained distinction on our ship across the 
sea as boxing match referee, and when the "battle 
royal" among the colored gentlemen was pulled off 
his job was a scientific one. As a rock excavator he had 
experience and undoubtedly could make good m the 
mining regions as a contractor. His ambitions, how- 
ever, were realized when he was assigned to motor 
work at Amanty, and later at Chatillon. ( lid No. 1 
plane was his pride and joy; also, its section chief was 
a personal friend. Harry will never forget the days 
he spent as section chief, grooming Xo. 48 after her 
daily bath in castor oil ; nor will be soon forget his 
comfortable shock-absorber bed near the stove. 

HERMAN HEINRICH 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell, California, 
November 14, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

A first-class tailor was Herman. The only return 
for his labors which he required was plenty of cash. 
Delighted in making the boys wait a week for their 



best suit. Never a hard day's work did this native of 
Roumania do. Always plied the needle. Kept over 
half the receipts, turning the remainder over the Squad- 
n hi fund. With his leaves and special religious holi- 
days he had the Army beat. Didn't care whether the 
war lasted ten years or less. Spoke enough French and 
English to get by. Forever talked about eats, new 
styles, and San Francisco. Unconsciously, an enter- 
tainer of no mean ability. 

WILFORD THOMPSON 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
May 4, 1917. Age, 2D years. 

II we ever desired advice as to how farming was 
done in Michigan, this gentleman was consulted. He 
was one of the oldest in point of service in the Squad- 
ron and made good on the field, having had consider- 
able experience on airplanes in England. It was his 
ambition to become a pilot. He spent several hours in 
the air and could tell some interesting tales regarding 
forced landings. He told us stories of France that we 
enjoyed very much. Enjoyed playing cards occasionally. 

MORRIS ROLLO 

laitered the Army at Camp Upton, New York, Octo- 
ber 8, 1917. Age, 23 years. 

Morris hailed from Brooklyn, where early in hie he 
accustomed himself to hard work and plenty of it. In 
the Army he worked hard While at Garden City this 
future non-com went A. W . O. L., a thing he never 
regretted as he saw all his folks and those to be. Did 
penance for this act while crossing the pond. Was a 
leader at Ourches and Chatillon. Ambitious to learn 
motors, at which he made good. Enjoyed smoking and 
reading matter, especially mail. A member of the 
Brooklyn Club. Famous lor his well developed muscles. 

SAM RECCH1A 

Entered the Army at Cam]) L'pton, New York, Sep- 
tember 1(1, 1017. Age, 22 years. 

A "Siamese" twin brother to lilucstein, and bad the 
same misfortune as Buono, being unable to visit his 
friends in Italy. Sam was among the fortunate ones, 
however, at Ourches, in getting a home, and be readily 
grasped the lingo, which later helped him in parleying 
at Chatillon where he had the pleasure of making the 
acquaintance of several mademoiselles of that city. Xo 
doubt Sam gave the French people a good impression 
of the American soldier. 

EDWARD Y JAGGLE 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
3. I'M 7. Age, 22 years. 

A product of Chicago, the home of our one constant 
companion "Willie" (alias "corned willie"). This sta- 
tionary chauffeur was once a pick and shovel artist, but 
claimed to know more about motors than the mere 
crude implements (if torture. He was given a chance 




Webster Segar 
Monct/r Siehr 



Crane Da hie 

Wolff Lent 



88 



■W>e 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



to prove his abilities by being given the position of 
stationary chauffeur on a Sop. This high position was 
attained by close application and hard work. Never- 
theless, everyone has his failings, and among Edward's 
was that of rising at first call. To he sure, he pos- 
sessed a shock-absorber and that accounted for many 
c\ iK along this line. 

CHELLIS W. STOCKWELL 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, Xew York, 
August 18, 1^17. Age, 30 years. 

Too sedate to merit a decollette monniker. A good 
fellow. A demon for punishment in the form of work, 
hut assimilated it well. Early accepted his nomination 
to the ranks of N. C. O.'s. Saw a motor for the first 
time at Chatillon, and left there having learned many 
of the faults of "Frog" motors. Elected to the hoard 
of editors of the Squadron Book, rendering yeoman 
service in tin- capacity. Failed to weaken in favor of 
France's charms, waiting only for the restoration of 
his own individuality in "God's Country." Was at 
Amherst College for several years learning about hugs 
and every known species of insect. Also occupied some 
of his time at Marsas gathering "rare" specimens with 
the village curate. 

RAY WEBSTER 

Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
December 8, 1917. Age, 25 years. 

This man found recreation with the cards, being 
present at frequent games where he had more or less 
luck. As a mechanic "Dan" was "there", in proof of 
which it can he said that he spent no less than three 
weeks in pounding out a ring from a five-franc piece. 
One day while escorting a plane in from the field, he 
was thrown from the wing, hut soon pulled himself 
up out of the mud none the worse for his experience. 
Upon the foot of his bunk in the barracks at Chatillon, 
some kind individual left a blouse containing "beau- 
coup" francs one evening, hut it remained safely there 
until the following day when the owner arrived in 
search of it. 

JOHN SEGAR 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Octo- 
ber 30, 1917. Age, 31 years. 

A cigarmaker in civil life, and was fond of tobacco 
in any form during his time with the colors. He was 
even known to borrow francs to satisfy this desire. As 
a worker, John recognized no superiors. From his first 
day in the Army, this soldier always pitched into it 
without ever having to be told. Xever did he receive a 
call down for laying down on the job. He was known 
to many as "Godfather" because of his kindness on 
numerous occasions. At Chatillon he took great pleas- 
use in working on the planes. He enjoyed his smoke 
along with a game of penny-ante. 

JOSEPH M. CRANE 
Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
November 24, 1"17. Age, 19 vears. 



\\ hen the good Lord put this specimen on this broad 
earth he forgot something. Ambition was the forgot- 
ten ingredient, and for that reason this Iow-an has 
been struggling through life, particularly the Army, 
endeavoring to dodge work wherever possible, and 
meeting with considerable success. Nevertheless, he is 
blessed with a good nature which covers a multitude of 
sins, and was never known to get mad (even on the 
night when he claimed his mattress of tin cans). Of 
lady correspondents he could boast many, and among 
his letters were to be found many of more than usual 
interest ; in fact, he was never backward in flashing a 
particularly good one for the boys' approval. 

VIGGO S. DAHLE 

Entered the Army at Camp Dodge, Iowa, September 
19, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

As a minister's son this man fooled us by being an 
exceptionally quiet and moral young man. He liked 
to sing, but found it difficult to get anyone to harmonize 
with him. He had some ability as a writer, confining 
himself mostly to writing poetry. Arrived in France 
with the 376th Aero Squadron, was transferred to the 
639th Squadron in August, 1918, and contributed to the 
Squadron's success 1,\ Ins careful and steady work. At 
Chatillon lie slept near the bulletin board, where it was 
possible for him to lie upon his bunk and watch for the 
new guard and K. 1'. lists. We predict for him a great 
career as a poet. 

JAMES E. MONCUR 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, Xew York, 
November 10, 1917. Age, 20 years. 

A representative of "Limy Land." but too good 
natured to take offense at any remark passed regarding 
the matter. One of his favorite pastimes was that of 
pestering his friend George, who declared that if the 
"limey" didn't leave him alone he (Moncur) would 
knock him for a row of "battleships". Whenever seen 
upon the street of Chatillon, he was always alone, unless 
accompanied by a mademoiselle, of whom he knew many 
about town. A kodak he also usually had along to snap 
all things of interest. 

HERMAN' II. STEHR 

Entered the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, October 
2, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

"Herman, the sausage maker," hailed from the Middle 
West and challenged all comers who had anything to 
say against Wisconsin. He was always well to the front 
of the mess line, in order that he might ring in for 
seconds. One of "Red's" greatest pleasures was that 
of sitting on the end of his upstairs hunk, allowing his 
muddv shoes to protrude out into the aisle that they 
might be cleaned upon the clothes of the unsuspecting 
passersby. At Ourches, bis bunk beside the canteen was 
very handy to the supply of chocolate and canned 
goods. One night he barely escaped a shower hath 
from the hunk above. Those were the happy days. 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



89 



ADOLPH A. WOLFF 

Entered the Army at Newark, New Jersey, April 18, 
191& Age, 23 years. 

Rough in name but very gentle in manners. Insisted 
that before entering our midst he was "Top Kick" in 
another outfit. Always managed to keep clean, no 
matter how dirty the work he was given to do. Not a 
lover of mechanical work, but preferred the Supply 
game, as it offered him a chance to pass out bullet 
punctured uniforms for dirty and torn clothes. He also 
enjoyed passing out number eleven stockings to men 
desiring number nines. As a society man he mingled 
with the select; in fact, the wealthy jeweler at Chatil- 
lon opened his home to him. As a singer, Adolph held 
some distinction, favoring us on many occasions with 
melodies familiar in years gone by. 

EDWARD P. LENT 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Octo- 
ber 12, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Edward, who hailed from Virginia, was a strong 
admirer of tobacco. No doubt back in Virginia he 
helped himself to the weed in the tobacco fields and 
acquired the habit at an early age. It was his hobby, 
while with the Squadron in France, to get up about 
3 :00 a. m. and extract a Piedmont from his pill box, 
take a few inhalations, and then return to slumberland. 
He was neat in appearance and did his work well upon 
the field. He had the misfortune of missing a returning 
truck from Troves while there on a week-end trip, 
and was obliged to spend the night in a French bed in 
that city. 

ALEXANDER R. WALSH 
Entered the Army at White Bear Lake, Minnesota, 
April 13. 1918. Age, 26 years. 

His most characteristic position : reading letters from 
his wife or writing to her. Known as "Judge" to some 
of his friends. Joined the Squadron in August, 1918, 
and labored for many months in the Radio Depart- 
ment ; then later in the Personnel Office at Genicart. 
Swore that he would re-enlist and soldier for the rest 
of his life. His greatest ambition while in the A. E. F. 
was to see his wife. His sobriety and perseverence 
gained a promotion. Took a great liking to good meals 
and a good place to rest. Because of his distinguished 
appearance as he sat behind his desk, he drew many 
salutes from students asking for information. 

CHARLES HOLDERMAN 
Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
December 7, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

Charlie was a plugger. Made good upon the field. 
Those who knew of his ability knew he would make 
good. Never known to talk, criticize, or snore. Agree- 
able and ready to assist in the repairing of motors. His 
specialty was motor repair work, at which he was a 
"corker". Enjoyed his long sojourn on the field as he 
was working around the Liberty motor. Had much to 



tell about his experiences while on duty in the "cootie" 
mill at Genicart. 

JOSEPH H. HICK 

Entered the Army at Saint Cloud, Minnesota, April 
8, 1918. Age, 24 years. 

Formerly a member of the 376th Aero Squadron. Joe 
was transferred into our Squadron in August, 1918. 
Received his first mechanical training in the first Gov- 
ernment Training School at the University of Pitts- 
burg. Always the same, morning, noon and night, with 
a ready smile and a cheerful answer. Liked by all but 
his enemies and we don't think he had any. Had an 
exceptional life in France, saving his pleasures for his 
return to civil life. Had all the virtues and very few 
of the vices to which we are prone. Was an expert 
picture salesman. 

EARL SLABOM 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
November 7, 1917. Age, 18 years. 

"Legs," as this New Yorker was generally termed, 
was born with humor and a grin, both of which he 
retained, to the amusement of the boys. His wit was 
original and good, which, when accompanied by his 
grin, brought us back to the vaudeville such as the 
U. S. alone can produce. While at Chatillon he was 
assigned to Hangar No. 13, being located near Buncy. 
Somewhere around eleven o'clock this young man would 
start from the field in order to get up an appetite for 
dinner. He certainly is to be credited with beaucoup 
bunk fatigue. Likes to play baseball. Tallest man in 
the Squadron. 

ALYIN J. ROESCH 

Entered the Army at Ada, Minnesota, April 8, 1918. 
Age, 24 years. 

A former member of the 376th. Joined us at Cha- 
tillon. Here he worked on the field and was a pretty 
good man on motors. Sops and Liberties were his 
specialty. He went on leave once and returned with 
stories enough to fill a book. Regretted the fact that 
he overlooked the Officers' Training Camp. When the 
next war comes Alvin intends, with his experience, to 
wear beaucoup bars. 

CARL McCOLPIN 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell, California, 
December 9, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

"Mac" was such a quiet unassuming chap that one 
found it hard to get his history. Found great enjoyment 
in reading and smoking his very old pipe. Worked 
like a Trojan and w : as a good team-mate for any man. 
Hailed from Los Angeles and was won to the country 
west of the Rockies. Couldn't see where France ever 
earned the title of "Sunny" France. "Mac" was ambi- 
tious to learn all he could about the Liberty motor, as 
he intended to operate a garage with his brother on 
his return to the States. 




Walsh Holder-man Hick: S\abom Roesch M c Colpin 
Dube Adair Berdan Giifoi) 




. ' - ■ • 



Ladenson Greim Zebian D.R.Jone5 Davis 
Learning Warner stickler Stone 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



91 



CHARLES S. DUBE 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
December 7, 1417. Age, 29 years. 

The man of all trades. If it wasn't repairing har- 
racks roofs, it was fixing the supply room or sharpen- 
ing saws, after which he would repair our shoes for 
five francs. Busily occupied at all times. He enlisted 
as a chauffeur. Out-spokenness had its reward, but 
Dube had his opinions. Up at 4:30 every morning. 
Insisted that everyone else arise so as to he in time for 
reveille. No more Army for Charlie; going to be 
married, so as to evade the next war. 

JOHN W. ADAIR 

Entered the Army at Elk River, Minnesota, April 8, 
1918. Age, 25 years. 

Adair came from an agricultural country and was 
as slow as the slowest of them. At Chatillon, for a 
while, he held the position of Squadron barber. A 
consistent patron of the "down town" lunch-outs. Never 
enjoyed hard work. Always fought for a place at the 
head of the chow line; also favored the camera. Union 
Labor man at all times. At Genicart be found a "reel" 
continuous vaudeville show at his place of work — the 
mill. 

FRANK BERDAN 

Entered the Army at Granite Falls, Minnesota, April 
9, 1918. Age, 29 years. 

Frank was a hard worker at all times. On the field 
his time was spent studying airplane motors, at which 
occupation he accomplished much. His favorite pas- 
time was washing clothes. Always a neat and ready 
soldier. Would not argue. Rarely talked. Believed 
that if be retired at nine o'clock everyone else ought 
to do likewise. A volunteer, from guard to K P. 
There were very few men like Frank. Orated on the 
smoke and joys of Pittsburg where he attended the 
motor mechanics school. 

JOHN T. GILFOY 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
December 9, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

The man who has been all over the world. His 
home was anywhere he hung his hat, but before the 
war he showed a particular fondness for the South 
End, Boston. Short in stature hut long in sight. He 
always had a story that would go you one better. Hav- 
ing been with the Sturtevant Airplane Company pre- 
vious to his enlistment he had the jump on many of us 
when it came to field work. Best memory of any man 
in the Squadron, but it didn't always help him to recall 
parlor stories. 

EMANUEL J. LADENSON 

Filtered the Army at Philadelphia, Penn., March Hi, 
1918. Age, 21 years. 

Here is represented Ladenson of the "Hogan and 
Ladenson, Algerian Acrobats," who entertained the 
Squadron on its journey from Chatillon to Marsas. 



Emanuel had the misfortune of injuring his hand when 
in the souvenir manufacturing game at Chatillon. He 
worked on the field at Chatillon and later as orderly, 
which position he preferred as it gave him experience 
and francs as a "second-hand clothing broker" He 
possessed a line of humor, was quick witted and always 
ready to entertain, 

PAUL K. GREIM 

Entered the Army at Camp Meade, Maryland, Sep- 
tember 21, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

This gentleman, more popularly known among his 
comrades as "Dizzy", was a typical Pennsylvania 
Dutchman. He delighted in amusing his friends with 
correct impersonations of that famous bird, the owl. 
No living man can give a better idea of how that bird 
can "bout". "Dizzy" also proved industrious and gained 
distinction throughout the Squadron as a shoe shinest, 
earning for himself beaucoup francs as well as ever- 
lasting fame. One of bis best companions was a plug 
of chewing tobacco, and it was always a mystery how 
he could bite off the desired amount as be lacked many 
teeth. At one time he held the exalted position of 
corporal, but owing to his transfer into the Air Service 
he lost it. 

GEORGE .1. ZEBIAN 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 14, 1917. Age, 18 years. 

Fear of the pick and shovel was unknown to this 
young Pennsylvanian, because he alone knew the scien- 
tific method of leaning upon the pick handle. Being 
built for speed, it required no effort on bis part to 
make frequent trips to the various show places about 
Chatillon on any pleasant evening.. George possessed 
an unquenchable thirst for reading material, and no 
magazines were safe about the barracks unless nailed. 
Neither was it safe to disturb him too early in the 
morning as be belonged to the unbelievers in early 
rising. He was also popularly known as "Algerian". 

DEWEY R. JONES 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 9, 1917. Age, 17 years. 

He was one of a large group that was transferred 
into the Squadron shortly before our departure from 
Kelly Field, and can tell his friends back home how he 
swung a pick on the Western Front; also of his expe- 
riences on the Police and Maintenance details at Cha- 
tillon. This elongated being never won any medals for 
rapidity, but enjoyed sleeping and did a great deal of 
bunk fatigue while with the colors. Possessed a glib 
tongue which frequently kept him out of trouble. 

FRED L. DAVIS 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 15, 1917. Age, 25 years. 

"Parson" why so prayerful this evening? The ship 
won't sink. Albeit, the "Parson" continued to read 
diligently from the little book which he held within 



92 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



his hand. Later, as we knew this man heter, we mar- 
velled not at his sudden hursts of religion. But let us 
speak of his love for the Army. He often told us that 
the Army wasn't half had hut it was the people in it. 
His good nature was very easily ruffled, particularly- 
just before retiring or immediately after rising in the 
morning. When "I 'arson" put on his Sunday best and 
started out everyone knew that he had something special 
on for that evening. As a worker he was an expert 
electrician and did well at that vocation. He demon- 
strated his ability in the art of osculation in a capable 
manner in the "Y" on one occasion; an American 
blonde of twenty-nine summers was "the lady in the 
case." 

WILLIAM (,. LEAMING 

Entered the Army at Camp Meade, Maryland. 
November 3, 1917 Age, 30 years. 

"It's a boy!" While Bill was doing his bit against 
the Germans the stork paid a visit to Bill's home and 
left there a bouncing baby boy. While at Ourches he 
exercised daily with the pick and was among the first 
to receive Private first class chevrons, being made a 
corporal on the same day of the following year. At 
Chatillon he worked hard around the planes and no 
doubt will tell, in his modest way, of the aviating he did 
when in France. 

LEROY F. WAGNER 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November Id, 1916. Age, 1°- years. 

Wagner was among the unfortunate ones on our 
voyage to France, for upon arrival at Brest be was 
obliged to spend a short time in the hospital at that 
city. At Ourches he worked under the direction of 
"Hash" Hogan as a cook, and later in the same capacity 
at Chatillon. He also worked in the Radio Department, 
where he rendered good services. A real movie fan 
and fond of good times, but always moderate. 

CHESTER M. STICKLER 
Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 22, 1917. Age, 25 years. 

We now introduce one of our bank experts. Hailing 
as he does from Pennsylvania, you may know that he 
was a good talker, in addition to his training along the 
hanking lines. In France he threw a pretty good line 
to some of the mademoiselles, especially so when he 
and "Smuck" took a little trip to St. Malo. Chester also 
had a tooth fur good things to eat. It was a common 
sight, at one time, to see him coming out of town with 
a yard of bread under one arm and a slab of cheese 
under the other. He was also known to pay as much 
as deux francs each week for pork chops. One of his 
principal occupations was letter writing, until the Armi- 
stice was signed, and then post cards filled the bill. 

DANIEL E. STOXE 
Entered the Army at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, 
November 16, 1917. Age, 29 years. 



" \ rolling stone gathers no moss." Attleboro Stone 
did not propel himself about with any great amount 
of -peed, and for that reason acquired some moss in 
the form of a mustache and side beards, both detract- 
ing from bis personal beauty and causing bis near 
neighbors many a sleepless night. Dan always received 
an abundance of reading material from home. This he 
used as a foundation for his mattress. Supplied the 
boys at the hangars with the latest copies of the 
"Country Gentleman." At home Dan drank fresh milk, 
in France evaporated milk. 

EDWIN E. CONNOR 

Entered the Army at Fort Logan, Colorado, Novem- 
ber 15, 1917. Age, 18 years. 

The other partner in the firm of Connor and Fugle- 
burg is here represented; although not of Jewish, 
descent he had the capacity of making money during 
his spare moments. He was always busy manufactur- 
ing souvenirs to be sold. Notwithstanding his aptitude 
for work, Eddie also enjoyed short periods of pleasure. 
He would even travel as far as fourteen kilometers into 
the country and procure a chicken or rabbit dinner on 
a rainy Sunday. After one such trip he returned to 
the barracks in such an exhausted condition that it was 
necessary to put him between his blankets. Eddie's 
favorite ship was old No. 24. He came into prominence 
at Ourches as Life Guard. 

CLARENCE M. LAKIN ' 
Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November d, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

Cousins we all have, hut it is doubtful if any among 
us can boast of more than Clarence. He was seldom 
known to mention an acquaintance back home without 
referring to that person as being a cousin, bis relative 
in Florida being most frequently remarked about. 
It would he interesting to know what he had to tell 
his cousins at home about his cousins in Pagny-sur- 
Meuse. One fireside argument he would never yield to 
was the fact that sausage with sage was preferable to 
that without. As a mechanic he alone knew the secret 
of starting old No. 24 during her last days upon the 
field. 

Kl'SSELL A. HOLLEY 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
July 2S, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Lengthy and awkward, always at home, he it among 
the wilds of Montana or at some Broadway festival. 
Kelly Field seldom saw him except at Headquarters or 
during the early hours of the morning as he arrived 
from the city. In France, Russell acquired consid- 
erable fame as a canteen worker and photograph dis- 
tributer, being very successful at both vocations. In 
taking charge of details he was also successful. His 
greatest piece of work was the hangar excavation in 
solid rock at Ourches, never to lie forgotten by cer- 
tain members of the Squadron. His aspiration to be- 



94 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



come a high-flyer was never realized as the Kaiser 
quit too soon. 

THOMAS A. SUTTON 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 7, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

Kentucky kept us informed that she was still a part 
of the I'nited States by sending "Corn-cracker" along 
with us. He was able to give us much valuable advice 
regarding farming in the Kentucky region, and also a 
few points on the "moonshine" business. At one time 
he was a member of the "can-openers" union, but 
graduated after a short course in the kitchen. When 
excited, with raised voice, it became necessary for us 
to stop our ears because of the shrillness of his tones. 
Long live the "Corn-cracker." 

WILLIS C. BLOUCH 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, 
November 15, 1917. Age, 18 years. 

Music bath its charms, but we can truthfully say 
that few of us were ever charmed by the bugle notes 
which this musician forced upon us. At Ourches his 
daily calls were sure to command attention and re- 
marks of not altogether flattering nature. Outside of 
bis attempts to "toot the horn" Blough was a mighty 
good fellow and enjoyed one streak of good luck while 
in France — that of meeting his brother on several oc- 
casions at Chatillon-sur-Seinc, a pleasure such as few 
of the rest of us enjoyed while away from home. 

HENRY B. McBRIDE 

Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
November 21, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

Our first remembrance of "Mac" was at Kelly Field, 
adorned with a white felt hat which he cast aside for 
a real campaign bonnet. Again, we saw him at Ourches 
decked with a steel helmet because of the dangerous 
nature of his work within the dugout. About this 
time "Mac" and Rosic had an exciting trip to Vau- 
couleurs, concerning which they had a great deal to say 
that evening. As a mechanic this gentleman became 
efficient and learned not to attempt stopping propellers 
while in action. "Mac" well remembers the eve of his 
departure from Chatillon. 

FREDERICK J. GORDON 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 18, 1917. Age, 29 years. 

"Shorty" was with the Squadron since its forma- 
tion. Hard-boiled; telling what's what and why; always 
kicking. At Ourches his pastime was that of carrying 
around a paper and pencil, checking up all absentees. 
If he liked you, you were sitting pretty, for few of the 
boys had the nerve to run into "Tut's" tongue. Made 
heaucoup francs at Chatillon out of pictures. Took 
great pleasure in sports. Hard luck was his hoodoo, for 
it got him on board the boat, twice at Ourches, and in 
a baseball game at Chatillon. At Ourches, his midnight 
experience with Pvt. Canaday caused him to receive 



sufficient wounds to wan ant the wearing of a wound 
chevron. "Shorty" has no sympathy for the pessimist, 
claiming that to he cheerful in the Army you've got to 
be an optimist. 

JOHN J. WEINZIERL 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 21, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

Tins man came from the far-famed city oi Bayonne, 
whose beauties he was never backward in relating. At 
Kelly Field his friend "Nick" enjoyed singing him that 
old familiar song entitled, "I Wonder How the Old 
Folks Are at Home?" In France "Johnnie" was always 
happy but forever wishing himself back home, and on 
that score he was not alone. At Ourches it was a 
common sight to see the men duck his details because 
he liked to see them work. As a mechanic he learned 
a few things about airplanes. His position as crew- 
chief entitled him to ride in the "rear", a pastime 
which enabled "Johnnie" to command "attention" back 
home. 

SAMUEL BLUESTE1X 

Entered the Army at Camp Upton, Yew York, Octo- 
ber 12, 1917. Age, 21 years. 

Although a native of Brooklyn, since his entrance 
into the Squadron he was always considered one of the 
"Siamese Twins". He demonstrated his dexterity at 
Ourches as a "pick artist" and was among the first to 
receive the "High Private" chevrons. He also had the 
distinction of being the first to visit Paris, where he 
donned a wound chevron in sitting for a photograph. 
At Chatillon-sur-Seine when assigned to K. P. one day- 
he was the victim of a conspiracy. It was decided that 
the last man to arrive at the kitchen was to wash the 
pans. Sam rose early on that morning but one of the 
other members of the K. P. crew hid one of "Sammy's" 
shoes and consequently Sammy had to wash the pans. 

JOSEPH E. PETERS 

Entered the Army at Camp Meade, Maryland, Sep- 
tember 22, 1917. Age, 30 years. 

"Shorty" was so full of fun that to be alone for an 
hour would hurt his feelings. Always welcomed by the 
boys, as he managed to keep them in good humor. He 
was among the last to retire and the first to arise, often 
getting up and starting a fire on cold mornings, long 
before reveille. The work at Ourches did not appeal 
to Joe, though lus efforts were rewarded by a "High 
Private" chevron. Chatillon found "Pete" on the field, 
and how that boy did pray for a ship to be without 
its motor. Enjoyed reading the Philadelphia news- 
papers and writing letters. Made friends with the 
"Boche" at Camp No. 38 and managed to obtain some 
good souvenirs. 

THOMAS D. CORCORAN 
Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
November 27, 1917. Age, 24 years. 

A former 376th man. The proud wearer of one gold 



We 639TH AER 

stripe. Built like an ox, and looked it. Was quite a 
lady killer hack home, so he said. "Cork" was easy 
going and would rather he hossed than tell the other 
fellow what to do. He was a private, but didn't care 
if he could only get home to his flivver and the girl. 
Worked rather than idle his time away on the field. 
Preferred a Liberty to any other plane because it was 
easier to keep clean. 



ELMER R. REEDER 

Entered the Army at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, Octo- 
ber 2S, 1917. Age, 28 years. 

Among the last to arrive at Ourches on March 2nd 
was this gentleman. When we stopped at Vaucouleurs, 
Reeder decided that the rations provided by the Q. M. 
for the trip did not include all that his taste desired; 
so he detrained at that town, purchased refreshments, 
lost the train, and was obliged to hike it the rest of 
the way. At Chatillon he worked in the Transportation 
as chauffeur and had the misfortune of being overcome 
by the heat on one occasion, necessitating his having to 
stay all night at a nearby town, lie was considered too 
altruistic when in charge of the hath house, rendering 
good service to everyone hut himself. He was adven- 
turous and can tell the Michigan farmers many inter- 
esting tales. 

HARRY CUNNINGHAM 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 9, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

\ non-chauffing chauffeur who hung out at the Radio 
while the rest of the boys were working. During the 
summer when there were plenty of flying hours, you 
could hear Harry swearing away in the observer's 
cockpit. He was forever wondering why it was that 
he and a couple of the other fellows had to do all the 
work on that "blooming field." Glad to be a non-com as 
it kept him from guard and K. F. Smoked "Bull" so 
that his purse might grow. An ideal man for K. P. 
Mated Ourches because he had to work there like 

H . With all his faults, the Squadron could stand 

main' more like him. 



O SQUADRON 



95 



DOUGLAS JOHNSTON 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
April 7, 1917. Age. IS Near. 

This gentleman had experience in airplane work 
with an American Aero Squadron which received its 
training in Canada. Was transferred into the Squad- 
ron at Garden City, New York, shortly before our 
departure. He was one of the first members of the 
Squadron to go on leave, which was a "French" leave 
at Ourches, Did a great deal in the construction of the 
narrow gauge railroad at Ourches after his evening 
chow Winked as a chauffeur at Chatillon and per- 
formed his duty well. Was always willing to argue 
with anyone on any subject at any time. 

I-.DW IX FRANCIS 

Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
November 19, 1917. Age. 2(1 years. 

An honest and sincere young man. Evidently received 
a strong moral training, which we are glad to record 
he had the nerve to hold on to. At Ourches he worked 
with the boys and for them, along with "Parson" Fred 
Davis. \ er\ little manual labor did this future "Evan- 
gelist" accomplish. At Chatillon he proved to the 
Squadron that he had wisdom galore; this, by offering 
his services to the "Y" Secretary, Mr. Webster. Great 
indeed was his pleasure when Miss Mann arrived on 
the scene. Francis then had a real chum ; also plenty 
of hot chocolate and cakes. 

RICHARD II PATTERSON 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 19, 1917. Age, 22 years. 

"Dick" hailed from the Green Mountain State, which 
fact accounted for the ease with which he took up 
Army life. His stay in Texas took from him a great 
many pounds of superfluous flesh, while at Ourches it 
was the motorcycle for his. On arriving at Chatillon, 
having knowledge of telegraphy, he was assigned to 
the Radio Department, remaining there until our depar- 
ture. Did a great deal of work in keeping the wire- 
less in first class condition. Here, the boy was worked 
very hard hut was able to stand the pace, and this did 
much to hold the Squadron in an enviable position. 



GEORGE B. GLENDENNING 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 17, 1917. Age, 27 years. 

A very quiet young man who had seen a great deal 
of the world. Hard worker. Fair in his dealings 
toward the men. The recipient of numerous boxes. 
Had an opportunity to visit the British Front and made 
the most of it. The possessor of numerous souvenirs. 
Studied advanced English so as to be able to orate 
upon his doings. A crew' chief on the field, who wil- 
lingly allowed his men to rest while waiting for a new- 
motor. 



JOHN GNEHM 

Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York, 
August 21, 1917. Age, 31 years. 

"Faithful" John came to the Squadron at Chatillon 
as a mess sergeant. Hard as he tried to satisfy the 
hoys it was no go. Sickness took him from the kitchen. 
probably caused by his fondness for raw prunes, and 
later we saw him on the Squadron detail doing his 
work each day in a faithful manner. This work proved 
too slow for John and he finally wound up as a clerk 
in the Engineering Department. At Genicart he labored 
in the "mill" and continually brought fresh rumors, 
thereby boosting the hoys' spirits. 



96 



1&e 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



VIRGIL J. McELUERRY 

Entered the Army at Fort McDowell, California, 
April 9, 1917. Age, 19 years. 

Another Californian whose only desire was to get 
hack to the land of sunshine and honey. Of an easy- 
going disposition, "Mac" fitted in anywhere in the 
Squadron life to the enjoyment of his friends. Was 
one of the oldest soldiers in point of service in the 
outfit. Did whatever he was told. Work on the field 
made him happy as he had ambitions to become a good 
motor man. Fond of reading, smoking, and other 
Armv pastimes. Had travelled to many parts of the 
globe. 



EZRA KNIGHT 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas, Kentucky, 
November 7, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

We can thank this gentleman for keeping our faces 
clean at Ourches and Marsas, where he managed the 
Squadron tonsorial parlor. Quite often would he tell, 
in the presence of officers and enlisted men, how gen- 
erouslv some one had tipped him, which was a diplo- 
matic way to inform those who were next that he 
never took offense if offered a tip. The scheme worked 
well. During what was thought to be an air raid at 
Ourches he emerged with gas mask and helmet. Should 
be given a Croix de Guerre as a story teller. 



PRESENT MEMBERS WHO DO NOT APPEAR 
ON PHOTOGRAPHS 



RAY SCHENCK 

Entered the Army at Fort Thomas Kentucky, 
November 13, 1917. Age, _'_' years. 

Ray was well liked by every fellow in the Squadron. 
At different times be held positions from "Top" down 
to private in charge of details. Was blessed with a 
personality that enabled him to mix with them all. 
Afraid of no one, yet considerate of all. A cracker- 
jack at drilling. Insisted that his platoon was the best 
drilled in the outfit. Always neat and happy. Had 
feet that simply would not keep still — forever doing 
the clog dances. Claimed to have seen enough of the 
world and uniforms, as he had served a turn in the 
Navy as well as in the Army. Was noted for his bow- 
legs. Had a "conference" with the medical Major at 
Ourches. 

SAMUEL .1. RHODES 

Entered the Army at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, 
November 8, 1917. Age, 2? years. 

When we think of Rhodes we think of "Contact" 
and his cheer leading on the evening previous to our 
departure from Chatillon. He was editor of "Con- 
tact" and deserves credit for the interest created. He 
was a convincing speaker and took pleasure in address- 
ing audiences. Hard to convince him that he was in 
error. Liked the girls, and many of the French made- 
moiselles fell for Sam. Also took pleasure in playing 
poker. His knowledge of French was especially ad- 
vantageous to him when on business trips and on 
leave. Although a lover of boxing he never partici- 
pated in the sport, always taking a spectator's seat. 

EVERETT deGRAY READ 
Entered the Army at Camp Upton, New York, 
December 24, 1917. Age, 22 years. 



This gentleman had at one time ambitions to be a 
pilot, to see how it felt to travel where there were no 
"traffic coppers," but unavoidable circumstances pre- 
vented him from being one and he remained on the 
ground. With his cute little moustache and the del iray 
part of his name, he could easily have passed in France 
as one of the nobility. He worked well in Chatillon, 
which was the first flying field he was on while in the 
A. E. F. Everett always favored the conservation of 
energy theory, and his one ambition was to return to 
civil life and freedom. 

CHESTER REID 

Entered the Army at Camp Upton, New York, Sep- 
tember 23, 1917. Age, 26 years. 

While in the National Army this man proudly donned 
the insignia worn by a corporal, but it was ruled by 
the "powers that be" that men transferred to other or- 
ganizations at that time would lose their rating and 
this gentleman became one of the unfortunates. He 
liked to talk a great deal, but said little. Was the 
"other man" with Lent when they missed the truck- 
carrying soldiers on leave at Troves back to Chatillon. 
He related many times wdiile in the Army of his expe- 
riences as an engineer. 

W II. LI AM J. LANE 
Entered the Army at Fort Slocum, New York. Age, 
32 years. 

Spent most of his time in the Supply Department. 
Made several "business" trips to Paris. Not at all 
satisfied with the world as it is. 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



97 



MEN WHO WERE TRANSFERRED FROM THE SQUADRON 

WHILE IN FRANCE 



JAMES P. ATWELL 
"Buck" stayed with the Squadron after its formation 
until honorably discharged in December of 1918. As 
an originator of new expressions be was a king-pin: 
"sunboint", "Nigger", "youse boids", and "play me dirty" 
being the most common. It was always the Sergeant's 
delight to lead. Ourches found him in charge of the 
Powder Monkeys and Cave Diggers. At Chatillon he 
was, for a time, Top Kick, in charge of "Van" and 
"Butt", and later was "Chauffeur of the Bath." 

WILLIAM C. BRANDT 
"Bill" hailed from somewhere on the Jersey Coast. A 
member of the original outfit, this soldier stuck with 
us until the Armistice was signed and then he was off 
to see Germany. As a laborer this soldier had few 
superiors, as Bill generally had outlined his plan of 
procedure the evening before. Bill died at Lemans 
when awaiting his turn to go home. 

NELSON B. CHILDERS 

A native of Oklahoma, who on pay day split his 
wages with the tailor. Nelson was always one of the 
neatest soldier in the outfit. His "old issue" was for- 
ever creased, and many requested of Nelson to be 
allowed to wear his "best" whenever there was a big 
time on. A member of our touring part) to see 
Germany. 

WILLIAM J. DORNEY 

Bill entered our midst at Chatillon, where he worked 
on the field and in the Engineering Supply House. Here 
he became affected with ear trouble and had to leave 
the Squadron. It was with regret that he saw him 
depart, as his agreeableness was appreciated by all. 

ROLAND PALEY 
One of the thirty men who came to the outfit in 
August. Our strongest remembrances of him are those 
of a born Englishman who certainly did much to offset 
the prejudiced feelings some of us had for England. 
A quiet and willing worker, always accomplishing his 
"bit". He was fortunate in obtaining an honorable 
discharge soon after the Armistice. It was his letter, 
written from England, telling of the trials of a soldier 
going through the "mill", that informed us what was 
awaiting us before we hit the boat. 

TAMES E. ROSENHEIM 
"Rosie" was one of the boys who was a friend to 
everyone. His services were always of the best. Work- 
ing early and late to accomplish all possible, his efforts 
were rewarded by the C. O. designating him to attend 
the Officers' Training Camp. We understand that Jim 
made good. 

ARTHUR SCHIELER 
The other soldier from Wausau. We lost Arthur 
on account of sickness. This misfortune left Boiler 
alone to uphold the reputation of their burg. His work 



at Ourches and Chatillon was commendable. Occa- 
sionally he has written the boys and always was anxious 
to hear of our doings. 

AUGUST SCHLOSSER 
Adopted by us on the eve of our departure for 
Garden City. Until our farewell from the States he 
was known as one of the "Gold Dust Twins". The 
"Wanderers" claimed August as one of them and 
thereafter he participated in all their picnics. 

HAROLD SHIELDS 
"Big Boy" entered the Squadron from the lines at 
Kelly Field. A native of Maine, who delighted in 
working hard. Harold never had the desire to be 
bossed about. The first man to sit on a disc harrow at 
Ourches. Worked on a ship crew at Chatillon. His 
ship was forced to land at Courban, where "Big Boy" 
was bit by the prop. This accident took him away from 
us and bis loss was felt b\ all. 

THEODORE P. SMITH 
"Teddy" first saw the light of day somewhere in 
Pennsylvania. As an original member of this outfit 
Theodore desired to fly. Kelly Field was a dead hole 
for "Ted", though he did duck fatigue by playing foot- 
ball. As the war was drawing to a close this ambitious 
youth was sent off to flying school, where he earned his 
pilot's wings and a commission. 

ROBERT J. STEEN 

"Bob" applied his intellect and wit in trying to beat 
the officers, although on certain occasions he worked 
very hard. He hob-nobbed with the Medics, through 
whose influence he was marked "Quarters and "Light 
Duty." Resigned from the Squadron to visit Germain-. 
LOUIS P. STEPHENSON 

"Louie" saw action with the Squadron from Kelly 
Field to Chatillon, at which place be was injured and 
sent home. As a "cave digger" this boy was a bear. 
Large were the rocks which bis wheelbarrow hauled 
from the dugout to the road. Being crew chief on an 
A. R. served to stimulate the "High Private" to greater 
activities. His unfortunate accident was regreted by 
all. 

EARL C. TEMPLE 

A line man at Kelly Field whose habits soon made 
themselves known to the outfit. "Goosey Earl" cer- 
tainly was a favorite. Ourches saw him driving one 
of the best P'ackards in camp. Shortly after our ar- 
rival at Chatillon the rheumatism got him so bad that 
he accepted the offer to go home, somewhere in Iowa. 
LEE A. TRAW 

An oil fiend from Oklahoma who was forever trying 
to josh the troops. This unsophisticated youth took it 
into his head to go and see Germany. Along with some 
more soldiers from the camp, to took the 8-or-40 to the 
front. 



98 



^?Te639TH AERO SQUADRON 




W< 



SUNNY TEXAS 

Have you ever been in Texas, where the sun shines 
bright, 

Where the sand flies high, and the mosquitoes bite? 

One day it's hotter than the 4th of July. 

And the next it's so cold that you nearly die. 

You go to lied a night, and Oh, my! what a heat. 

You'd almost prefer to sleep in the street; 

But you awaken towards morning and shake like a pup, 

There's snow on the floor, a storm has come up; 

A terrible wind from the northwest is blowing. 

Stinging your face, hard feeling bestowing. 

The next day it rains and thaws out the snow, 

A batter of mud is formed, a good foot deep or so. 

Tlie country all around is cpiite inspiring 

With its prickly cactus, that gets no admiring. 

Here and there an herb, and in places a shrub; 

A waterless creek as deep as a tub; 

All through the country no grass to be seen, 

Tho patches of thistles are found nice and green. 

The sandy land, with its large flat plain 

Is enough to give a poor fellow a pain. 

It reminds him of the Sahara so great, 

Where nothing hut camels can maintain a gait. 

Sunny Texas, however fine it may be, 

Couldn't have ever been made for me. 

DAHLE. 




ISSUE DAY 

I did my hit of fighting 

Standing at the old tent door, 
As an office boy and manager 

Of my little Army store. 

Here I handed out the clothing 

And saw men's passions rise, 
When they'd come back strong and argue 

That I gave them the wrong size. 

How strange indeed it seemed to me 

These sizes were not true, 
But I consoled the multitude 

With, "I'll see what I can do." 

I took the French shoes promptly 

To the Quartermaster Corps, 
And told them that the gunboats 

Were surely made for Noah. 

He said that that was all he had, 

But expected other kinds, 
So we had to be contented 

W ith those hated twenty-nines. 

JOHN P.. BURNS, 

Supply Sergeant. 




[ndoor Sports After ray Day. 



HfRES 
OME YilO 
TWO SER- 
VICE 
STRlPgS 



WHAT TO DO 

If you think you have the Coo-coos 

Do not cry, 
Boil your clothes and take a hath. 

They will die; 
They are cunning little fellows. 

So they tell, 
And they itch and bite, and scratch me 

Just like hell. 
Though I've belted 'em and flayed 'em, 
Can you tell me just who made 'em? 
In my heart I know it wasn't "Gunga Din." 

— "A Rude Kipling.' 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



99 




Getting Rid <>r Surplus Earth at ' 'inches 



LE CHEMIN DE FER d'OURCHES 



Some towns of France are on the maps 
And some like Ourches not, 

But Observation Group, First Corps, 
Can't get along like that. 



They built it in the morning rain, 
Clear up a smooth, steep hill, 

And used it in the afternoon 
Against old Kaiser Bill. 



They needed stones to make a park, 
And needed other things as bad ; 

So they settled on a railroad, 

Built of all the things they had. 



Altlio' it's only rocks they haul, 
It's all part of the game, 

For all the war's not in a trench, 
And some of it is tame. 



'Tis true the track is narrow gauge, 
But all "Jerk" lines start small, 

And it's built upon a slope so steep, 
That the grade looks mighty tall. 



All day the cars go up and down 
To keep the hungry crusher fed, 

For making big ones into small ones 
Is no so easy as 'tis said. 



The Captain was the engineer 

Who planned out this new- "Jerk" 

And Orange was the M. S. E. 
Who made the soldiers work. 



The soldiers do their work quite well 
Xe'er thinking of a D. S. < . 

And they make the rock piles dwindle- 
As part of their job, you see. 



And when this war is a thing of the past, 
And the Boche is drowned in his guilt, 

We'll all agree that the Chemin de Fer d'Ourches 
Was the greatest road ever built. 



100 



■We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 

MY FIRST RIDE IN AN AIRPLANE 



As a large number of the men in the Squadron had 
heen up in the plains and had told of their experiences, 
it was my desire, also, to "go up once" and see just 
what the sensations were. 

1 had pestered the life out of the Flight Officer time 
and time again, until one day he told me to be handy 
to the office and he would take me up. The next day 
u.is one of anxious waiting, for I expected at any 
moment to be called cm the 'phone. Every time it rang, 
I said to myself, "Here is where 'Bevo' takes a flop." 
1 was a real brave fellow up to the time I was assured 
that I was going to get my ride. Then I began to 



ning around with a whirling sound that drowned out 
the voices of the mechanics who had been working 
on the 'plane. Then the blocks were pulled away and 
we taxied out to the "T," where we waited for the 
word "Go" from the officer in charge of the "T." 

While sitting there waiting for the word, I was 
looking for a place to put my hands and feet, making 
sure that they didn't interfere with any of the controls. 
On receiving the flag, which was the signal to go, louder 
roared the motor and off we went, bumping and bounc- 
ing along, headed for the first hangar at terrific 
speed. About two hundred feet from the hangar I 




Chatillon and ttit Camp as Bevo Saw Them 



recount all the crashes, spills, etc., 1 had personally 
seen, and others I had heard about, and simultaneously 
wondered if anything might possibly happen to me. 
Now that my chance to flirt with the clouds had come, 
it had lost something of its novelty. However, the 
afternoon passed with no call for me to take my ride. 

The next morning about eight o'clock the Flight 
Officer walked into the office, so I screwed up courage 
and asked him about my ride. He took me off my feet 
with the reply that he was ready and that I would find 
a flying suit in the flight office. It was too late for me 
to hack down then and, rather dazed, I made my way 
to the flying field. There I received a flying suit, 
helmet, goggles, and everything that went with the 
outfit, and was soon ready for the word "go." To be 
frank, 1 was weak about the knees and blue around 
the gills during the few moments I waited for the 
Lieutenant. He soon arrived and we both started off. 

He picked out a little dual control "Sop" and told 
me to climb into the front seat. I didn't question him, 
but did as I was told. The thought that came to me 
then was "safety first," and the first thing I did was 
to look for the safety belt! After locating it, I buckled 
it around me, and by that time the propeller was spin- 



felt the tail rise and I knew we were off. Suddenly 
he nosed her up and we kept climbing and climbing 
until we were free from all the buildings and hangars 
and had plenty of space in which to take care of 
ourselves. 

Oh! wdiat a feeling. I was all cuddled up in the 
seat, but after the 'plane straightened out I got up 
courage enough to look over the side on the city of 
Chatillon, below. At that moment I felt like a regular 
aviator and said to myself, "Flying is nothing — it only 
looks hard," but at that moment we went into a steep 
bank and I thought it was all off for me. I began to 
think of home and wondered wdio would take care of 
Mary Brodie if we crashed. Presently we straightened 
out and, following this little fright, we flew over 
fifteen minutes without a bank, dive, or loop. 

Now we were far above the clouds, breaking through 
an open place now and then. I will never forget the 
scenery below. Roads looked like long, crooked strings, 
winding in and out, hidden in places by the woods only 
to appear again. The towns and villages appeared to 
be huddled together in small clusters, and the whole 
earth looked plain, as one cannot tell from the air just 
where the hills are. Interrupting my survey of the 



We 6 3 9TH AERO SQUADRON 



101 



beautiful scenery, the 'plane suddenly dropped, render- 
ing a sensation as though the bottom and myself were 
falling through. It stood me up straight, my head 
bumped the top wing, and 1 sat back in my seat again. 
We were then on our way to the ground, but where 
we were going to land I could not tell. 

We were rising and falling, banking and climbing, 
and about everything an old "Sop" can do. My health 
had been pretty good up to that time, but suddenly 
my stomach seemed to be up around my neck, and this 
after forty minutes in the air. I looked down once 
more and observed what seemed to be several small 
white tents below. We went into a dive, but I couldn't 
tell whether we were going down or sailing along on 
the level, so I just held on for dear life. Presentlj I 
regained consciousness and saw that we were about 
to laud and that the supposedly small tents were the 
large hangars we had left some time before. We then 
circled the field and made a perfect landing, taxieing 
back to the hangar from where we started. 

When the machine stopped I didn't know whether 
to sit there in the 'plane or get out. I was as weak as 
though 1 had just finished a long day's work swinging 
the pick at Ourches. However, I gathered what little 
pep was left me and climbed out, thanked the Lieu- 
tenant, and went staggering down the field like a sailor, 
just back from a six months' voyage, returning from a 
"wonderful" shore leave. 

Now that I bad had my first ride in an airplane, I 
was satisfied, though I can't understand to this day 
why a pilot wants to turn his 'plane on a cinq centime 
piece when he has the whole sky to do it in. 

I was the happiest fellow in France to have my two 
flat feet on the ground once more, never again to pester 
the Flight Officer for a ride. It was "finis" me for 
airplanes. R. M. BURNS, "BEVO." 



A RECORD FOR SPEED 

OR 

COAXING A LAME STEAM ROLLER 

In order to complete certain construction work at 
Ourches, it became necessary to have a steam roller. 
A machine of this kind was available but it was located 
at Vaucouleurs and must be brought to Ourches over 
the road and under its own power. There was but 
one man in camp, who, to our knowledge, had any 
previous experience in operating such a clumsy piece 
of machinery, and that was Schultz, an ex-locomotive 
engineer. Therefore, he was dispatched with an able 
assistant, Ted Smith by name, to navigate the iron 
monster over the nine kilometers of roadwaj sepa- 
rating our cam]) from Vaucouleurs. They managed, 
with some difficulty, to get the required amount of 
steam, and after a little more trouble the thing began 
to move upon the manipulation of the proper lexers 
But then their troubles commenced. One thing after 
another delayed their progress and after three days 
they pulled into the small village of I'gny. Here they 
left the balky brute by the wayside and returned to 
camp for more supplies, a distance of not more than 
three kilometers. With a fresh stock of fuel and other 
necessities, Schultz, with a new assistant, Harvey Coale, 
returned and got under wa\ once more, hoping against 
hope that they might arrive at camp before the shades 
of evening fell. This pleasure was granted them, for 
without further serious trouble they managed to steam 
up the main highway into camp during the afternoon, 
with all colors flying and the whistle blowing to 
announce to all that they bad finally arrived. They 
were received with much laughter, but they argued that 
they had had a good trip and had traveled slowly 
enough to enjoy the scenery. 

























r 


cL- 












' 






_-=^5^M 






tofr <-<; 












"■;'% 





Krectins a Hangar at Amanty. 



102 "We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 

THE LAST TWO DAYS AT CHATILLON 



The 89th Squadron's placid departure on January 
12th provoked considerable comment on the part of 
the members of the 639th. It was beyond our compre- 
hension how an organization, so long established in 
the place, could take its final leave so undemonstratively 
and so utterly lacking in enthusiasm. On that occasion 
the 639th resolved that its departure should he a 
memorable event, both to the Chatillonais and to the 
numerous Yanks at the Post. 

March 7th was destined to figure as the "day of 
days" for the 639th Squadron. On the morning of 
March 6th, each and every man packed his barrack 
bag and discarded all excess accumulations. The 
quarters presented a somewhat deserted appearance 
after everyone bad packed up. Imitations to dinner 
in town were numerous, many French people providing 
the equivalent to the "fatted calf" for this exceptional 
occasion. As some of them explained, they were about 
to lose those toward whom they bad acted as "mar- 
raines," in accord with that commendable French 
custom. A "marrainc" is a maiden, or not, fair or 
decidedly otherwise, who selects a soldier, and interests 
herself in his welfare. Usually the soldier receives 
from his marraine letters, smokes, and when practicable 
as is the case in the Armee Francaise, hospitality while 
(hi permission. It was their pleasure to take dinner 
"chez" their marraines at least once a week, a powerful 
influence to counteract the ennui that comes occasional]} 
tn those so far from home. 

In spite of the general visiting on the 6th, the boys 
did not fail to consider plans for a final celebration 
that evening. A parade was decided upon. Sam 
Rhodes, Ranahan, and Paul Byrne were assiduously 
engaged composing words to be sung to familiar airs, 
while another bunch sought Lieutenant Mitchell and 
obtained bis permission to utilize the fuselage of dis- 
mantled Sop. 21, and the field dolly for the occasion. 
The fuselage was mounted on the dolly and secured 
with ropes. Whitworth painted a dragon bead on its 
nose and added such inscriptions as: "Nous allons 
partir pour l'Amerique toute de suite," "An revoir 
Mademoiselles de Chatillon," "Fini Cognac," etc. Ban- 
ners were made bearing similar wordings. Enthusiasm 
increased and everyone expressed his intention to 
participate in the parade. 

At 6 o'clock, the men assembled in the Mess Hall to 
rehearse the songs and yells which had been adapted 
to the occasion. The noises from the Mess Shack 
could have lead one to imagine a student rally, but 
'twas only 639ers preparing for their grand an revoir 
peerade. Inasmuch as the 157th was to leave on the 
same train, w'e invited them to participate in our 
demonstrations, and they accepted. Though the 157th 
was a "live" bunch, they couldn't equal the enthusiasm 
of the 639ers, and eventually took but a small part in 
the lark. 



At 6:30 the bunch "fell in" on the road leading 
toward Chatillon, tarrying briefly to receive a final 
exhortation from Top-Kick York, who called on the 
men to put in all the "pep" they bad. The "Fuselage 
Monster," gayly bedecked with various flags, headed 
the parade, with "Dad" Waddel in the pilot's cock-pit, 
and Harvey Coale occupying the observer's seat. The 
"Monster" was drawn by ropes on both sides by a 
dozen men The Squadron followed in regular forma- 
tion, a few of the 157th falling in with us. 

Tom Yohe, whose "long suit" bad always been 
exploding detonators or lighting signal flares at most 




Main Exhibit in the Bis Parade 

inopportune times, rendered yeoman service on this 
occasion. With a large haversack loaded with signal 
rockets and flares, obtained through Tom's own peculiar 
ingenuity, be marched along with the gang, and sent 
tqi flares as the Squadron started off toward town, 
while everyone sang "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," 
as lustily as possible. Occasionally a halt was called 
and the "sky-rocket" yell was given for the 639th, 
followed by another for the 157th. As we passed 
through the main part of Chatillon and everybody was 
singing with all bis might, the windows and doorways 
on both sides of the streets became thronged with 
curious Frenchmen, who bad not seen nor heard 
anything similar to this since the day of the Armistice. 
It was with considerable apprehension that we 
approached the M. P. at the foot of the lull. But we 
were relieved when, in passing" headquarters, a group 
of M. P.s looked on at the orderly riot with only blank 
amazement. If the M. P.s had any inclination to 
interfere they quickly reconsidered, after one look at 
the long parade. The farther the parade advanced, the 
greater became the enthusiasm, Yohe's pyrotechnics 
maintaining pace with the general progress. By this 
time the French population was fully aroused and 
cognizant of the fact that 639 was surely celebrating 
its departure. 

By 7:3(1, the procession arrived at the Hotel de 
Ville and five minutes later filed into the "Jardin du 
Mairie" and halted while a large assembly gathered 
round to take in the "doings." "Dusty" Rhodes, Paul 
Bvrne, Ranahan, and York ascended to the band stand. 



<3fe639TH AERO SQUADRON 



103 



Paul Byrne and Ranahan duetted, the crowd joining in 
and repeating the chorus. From "We Hate to Leave 
You" we went right through our entire repertoire 
several times, interspercing the songs with "beaucoup" 
sky-rocket and locomotive yells, which were ably led 
by "Dusty" Rhodes. These last were surely a revelation 
to the French and added to their astonishment. After 
the songs and speeches the march was resumed and 
continued up Rue de la Gare to Rue dc Chaumont, 
thence down by the Hotel de la Poste, where a halt 
was called. Paul Byrne and Ranahan mounted the 
fuselage and again we exhausted our collection of 
songs and yells to the approval of the crowd of French 
and American spectators that had gathered. Yohe 
was on the job with a red and green flare that added 
considerably to the scene. 

Interesting indeed were the expressions noticeable 
on the faces of the Yanks — officers and men, who were 
among the spectators. It seemed as if every face there 
registered envy, or at least deep longing; numerous 
remarks we overheard confirming our conjectures on 
that score. From the Hotel de la Poste, we proceeded 
along Rue de L'Isle to L'Eglise Saint Nicolas, minus 
any appreciable diminution in enthusiasm, though the 
noise possibly decreased in volume, inasmuch as the 
hunch by that time became quite hoarse, and the few 
157th men who had started with us weakened before 
we were well started. All along the line of march, on 
the going and return trip, tobacco and cigarettes, of 
the "issue" variety, sometimes known as the "reject 
brand," were tossed to the French who chanced to be 
nearest. At the foot of the hill we found further 
evidence of the perfect co-operation and harmony 
existing in the Squadron, in the truck which we found 
waiting to help the "fuselage monster" up the hill and 
over the last hard stretch of road between town and 
camp. 

On our return to the field the bunch lost no time in 
piling up the hundred boxes or so that had previously 
served as our personal lockers, and it then poured 
"essence" on the immense heap and touched a match 
to it. In Indian war-dance formation the hunch 
serpentined around the blaze, singing and yelling with 
all the vocal power that remained. The fire illumined 
the sky for miles around. When Lieutenants Watts 
and Wood were espied in the crowd, they were given 
cheers, followed by cries of "Speech, Speech." These 
affable "Loots" responded and both were profuse in 
their praise of the work and character of the 639th. 
They wished us all a speedy and safe return to "God's 
country," and civil life. 

At this juncture, Yohe lighted a flare that illumined 
the skv for fully 20 minutes, while the men arranged 
themselves in groups according to rank. The rankest 
Sergeants 1st class and Buck Sergeants made up the 
first group, the Corporals and Chauffeurs the second, 
and the privates of both the "Buck" and "High" variety 



the third. Each group in turn cheered for itself, the 
"Private" aggregation easily carrying off the distinction 
of having received the loudest acclamation. The three 
groups then cheered "ensemble," producing a surprising 
volume of noise. 

An hour of celebration on the field left only a heap 
of smoking embers, the closing incident occurring when 
Ray Schenck auctioned off the ashes. Whether or not 
the highest bidder carried off his award is unknown. 

Captain Fritz, who had followed the parade a short 
distance, unknown to the men, also occupied a very 
inconspicuous position on the field for the reason, we 
later learned, that he did not wish his presence to act 
as a restraint on the enthusiasm of the men. We were 
glad to know that he had witnessed the celebration, 
and enjoyed it immensely. It is a safe wager that no 
outfit, larger or smaller than ours, ever evidenced such 
unity and squadron spirit with so unbounded an 
enthusiasm. The affair was absolutely original, and 
will undoubtedly remain the only one such — a testimo- 
nial to the irrepressible spirit and initiative of the 
639th Squadron. 

The following excerpt from a letter received by 
Lieutenant Snow from M. L. Richebourg, in whose 
house he was billeted while at Chatillon, gives an idea 
of what the French thought of our celebration and 
indicates also how successful it was: 

"Le lendeniain de votre depart l'aviation a dit un 
grandiose adieu. On a promene par les rues un 
avion a qu'on avait enleve les ailes et convert 
descriptions; 'Finis Cognac,' etc., etc. Cela a fait 
la joie des grands et des petits qui out suivi le 
cortege en applaudissant." 

TRANSLATED 

"The day after your departure the aviation gave 
an imposing farewell. They paraded through the 
streets with an aeroplane from which the wings 
had been removed and which was covered with 
inscriptions: 'Fini < ognac,' etc., etc. It pleased 
old and young alike who followed the procession 
applauding." 

Reveille roused us the morning after, somewhat 
fatigued, but content with the thought that the "wished 
for day" had arrived. Breakfast finished, everyone set 
to work to complete the final preparations for departure. 
In two hours, barrack bags were assembled in a heap 
and blanket rolls made up. Every man then hit for 
town for a final visit to his marraine. The baggage 
detail remained behind and was kept busy loading 
lia.^s and boxes on the camions, thence into the cars 
after a trip to the station. Cheers hurst from the 
little groups of 639ers scattered throughout the town 
as the baggage-laden camions drove by, bound for the 
station. 

The majority of the fellows had returned to camp 
by 4 o'clock, in conformity to the order of the day. 
Slowly indeed did those last three hours in camp pass, 



104 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



and the order at 7:30 to "Fall in" was certainly a 
welcome one. A few instructions were delivered, 
"Squads Right" was ordered, and the camp at Chatillon 
and the 639th severed connections forever. 

The Squadron started some time in advance of the 
157th and displayed the usual "pep" singing on the 
march through town. Every doorway and window 
was thronged with French anxious to get a final 
glimpse of their friends marching by. Unaccustomed 
to long marches with full equipment, the singing sub- 
sided somewhat before the station was reached, but 
was quickly resumed when the cars were reached. 
The men were then assigned to cars, climbed aboard 
and each prepared to make himself as much at home 
as the "40 Hommes 8 < hcvaux" voitures would permit. 

About 10:30 our cars were connected up, and we 
saw the last of "la belle Chatillon," perhaps forever 
for the majority of us. 



THE UNDERSTUDY'S RETROSPECTION OF 
THE SUPPLY SERGEANT'S JOB 

The Supply Sergeant's job was generally conceded 
to be the biggest graft in the Army. The Supply 
Sergeant and the Mess Sergeant were always repre- 
sented hand in hand, but in most cases this representa- 
tion was not correct. The Supply Sergeant seemed to 
be the friend of anyone who was in a position where 
there could be reciprocal benevolence. The Supply 
Sergeant was severely censured; he did not have to 
be too careful of his clothing; paper was easily 
secured; little conveniences were unconsciously usurped. 
He must necessarily have considered all who approached 
him as solicitous thieves until they had performed some 
act of unusual honesty before him. Therefore, he was 
unpopular among the men, often the most unpopular 
man in the organization, because so few realized his 
position. 

In the 639th Aero Squadron the Supply Sergeant had 
no doubt — but certainly unintentionally — practiced some 
of the regular Army Supply Sergeants' notorious graft. 
He and the Mess Sergeant were attached with a mutual 
end in view. But he accepted only those things which 
were forced upon him, and then honorably considered 
them as a kindness toward himself — not the job. When 
he retired from his job, the same respect w'as shown 
him, although he was no longer able to bestow favors. 
Below this superficial layer of velvet, we believe that 
the Supply Sergeant had more tribulations than any 
man in the outfit. Since we are writing an "in 
memoriam," we may pass on to express our truthful 



retrospections. The Supply Sergeant was a medium 
between a gang of rapacious soldiers and an exacting 
officer, while he could please neither at the same time. 
He was like the two-faced Janus who smiled on one 
side, but frowned on the other. The nature of his 
work was multifarious. He and the Understudy sorted 
and counted the dirty salvage in order that we would 
not outwit the Q. M. and still keep the "best policy" 
immaculate. It was one of the Understudy's jobs to 
clean the pistols, while his boss was accountable for 
them. At one time a pistol was lost, and could not be 
replaced, at which "his Nibs" was unreasonably vexed. 
Everything — from a two-cent shoe lace, up — was the 
Supply Sergeant accountable for. Several days after 
notices had been posted, there would be many men 
who still wanted various articles which we did not 
have and could not get. Ladenson bored us for several 
months for a pair of shoes of a size the (J. M did not 
have; so we were obliged to take his malignant curses 
without a whimper. Phoebus, long after we had 
packed our property to turn it in at Marsas, came for 
a pair of breeches to match his coat. Rhoades never 
had his full equipment at any one time. The day 
before we left Chatillon for Marsas, he reported to 
the Supply Sergeant that he did not have a shelter half 
in which to wrap his blankets. Hicks always glided 
into the supply room, introducing himself, "Don't get 
hard with me, will yo'?" Reynolds even threatened to 
gather a predatory gang to raid the supply room. The 
Boss and his Understudy were interrogated concerning 
clothing in the "tin hut," mess hall, Y. M. C. A., 
barracks, and everywhere but the supply room; so that 
they were shocked into saying a hundred unbiblical 
things. 

The Understudy was often unable to build a fire to 
suit "his Nibs," and "his Nibs" never hesitated to 
express his dissatisfaction in the most diabolical 
sarcasm. And "his Nibs" was often displeased at the 
way the floor was swept and the dust that lay on the 
boxes. Then, when he was in the hospital at Chatillon, 
the new C. O. had another disposition which had to be 
mitigated. The Understudy was dispatched to buy the 
temporary C. O.'s morning paper and had to assume 
the position of valet as well as assisting the Supply 
Sergeant. 

However, the Supply Sergeant was successful in 
becoming quite popular with the Q. M., so we always 
had the pick of clothing in Chatillon. Many of the 
organizations there had to pass through more red tape 
than we did. But the best we could get was always 
greeted with complaints, and our hearts thus became 
hardened. A man would enter the supply room with 
a broad grin and exit with curses hurled at us and on 
the entire Army. 

So the life of the Supply Sergeant rolled by, as most 
of the men thought, in eternal bliss. The reality, 
however, was not so. STACKHOUSE. 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 
A HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE 



105 



Location: Ourches, on a dark, rainy night. The big 
guns keeping up a constant roar just over the hill. 

Chief and O.xly Character: Jay Jay Klema doing 
guard duty at the hangars, and who had removed his 
raincoat and hung it on one of the Hotchkiss Machine 
Guns, there being one such at each hangar. 

EClema (on coming around the corner and seeing the 
form of a man standing before him in the dark) : 
"HALT! WHO'S THERE?" No answer. 




Klema (again): "HALT! WHO'S THERE?" X" 
answer. Whereupon the above-mentioned gentleman 
immediately about faced and retraced his steps 
around the hangar, coming up on the other side, 
he again observed the same figure at the same place. 
For a moment he hesitated, thinking it might be a 
"Boche" about to throw a bomb into the hangar. 
Every nerve tense, his Colt Automatic cocked and 
ready for action, lie once more, in a loud, command- 
ing voice, shouted, "HALT! WHO'S THERE?" 
Xo answer came in reply to his challenge, and at 
that moment a star-shell broke in the distance, 
illuminating the entire country thereabouts, including 
the form before him. There disclosed was his rain- 
coat draped upon the machine gun. He replaced his 
gun within its holster, turned upon Ins heel, and 
walked away muttering to himself. 

"MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE FRENCH 
PEOPLE" 

Did you ever see the reception given a long-lost son 
when he returns home? If you did, you will under- 
stand the kind of reception the American soldiers 
received when they were the first Amexes to arrive 
m any small French town. X'othing was too good for 
them, and all kinds of small favors were granted to 
make things more comfortable. 

The idea that most people harbor of the French 
people is taken from the city life. The average 
American has no conception of the habits and customs 
of the French who inhabit the small towns and villages. 

During the past five years the life and strength of the 
country has been sapped by the war, and in place of 
young men working on the farms and doing the manual 



labor, we see young boys and girls from twelve to 
eighteen or twenty and old men and women from fifty 
to sixty-five. They work from sunrise to sunset, tilling 
the ground, trimming grape vines, following plows, and 
in fact doing any kind of work which we see only the 
strongest men perform in America. 

They are a vei \\ sentimental people and are quick to 
show any kind of emotion. They are constant users of 
tobacco in some form and will sacrifice almost anything 
for a package of cigarettes. 

Very little of their time is spent in amusements, but 
when they do celebrate they make up for all the lost 
time caused by continuous attention to work. One 
cannot easily judge the age of these people on account 
of their strenuous work and their curious habits of 
eating and drinking, which make them look old when 
they are really onl\ in the prime of life. 

The only meal which the French eat without their 
vin rouge or vin blanc, is breakfast, which usually 
consists of bread and a cup of black coffee. Owing to 
the condition of the wells and other water supply, the 
water is not drinkable unless sterilized, which condition 
is said to account for their habit of drinking so much 
wine. X T ot too much credit can be given these people 
for the way they handle their liquors. They all know 
their capacity and are very seldom seen in an intox- 
icated condition, anil this in a measure accounts for the 
lack of opposition to the use of alcoholic beverages. 

VARNEY. 

FAREWELL! FRANCE 

Farewell! to France, where we had to remain: 
Farewell! to the barracks, the mud, and the rain. 
We've handled the pick under desperate strain ; 
We've even worked hard on the aeroplane. 

We've given the field the safest protection; 
With the gat on our side we've shown our perfection; 
We've even stood well our Sunday inspection, 
Hiding the flaws that were out for detection. 

We've trampled the fields of the limestone and clay, 
Doing squads east in a soldierly way ; 
We've patiently stood in line for our pay, 
In this wonderful country so far, far away. 

And now we're soon to leave for the States; 
Leave the stone houses, stone walls, and high gates ; 
Leave all the wineshops with their very cheap rates, 
And go back to the country that nobody hates. 

Hurrah ! for the good old L". S. A., 

The land of sunshine, where work seems like play ; 

We're now coming back to you to stay, 

The Kaiser is beaten, so let's all shout hurray! 

DAHLE. 




Old St.Vorles 




5 

•E 

I 

N 

E 




FfUe del'lslc — Main street 

— 




Part of the Seine 




We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 
THE STORY OF CHATILLON-SUR-SEINE 



107 



./ Glimpse Into the Past of the City Where the 
639th Made Its Home 

Chatillon-sur-Seine is one of the most beautiful 
spots in France, and on ground every foot of which 
has a history all its own. 

Situated in the picturesque Seine valley near the 
source of that famous river, Chatillon-sur-Seine and 
its environs have for centuries enjoyed a reputation 
for their beauty of scenery. French poets of the 
Middle Ayes sang of life in Chatillon, of the splendor 
of its site, the solitude of its neighboring forests, the 
freshness of its valleys, and the limpid beauty of the 
many rivers and streams about it 

Of chief interest is the River Seine, which winds its 
course through the town. A second stream, the Douix, 
has its source in Chatillon and offers a magnificent view- 
as it springs from under a cliff of solid rock, 110 feet 
in height. After running for a short distance, the 
Douix flows into one of the arms of the Seine and 
thence through the town, passing under many of the 
buildings and giving a Venice-like appearance to some 
of its streets. 

History of Chatillon 
The origin of Chatillon-sur-Seine is lost in the 
dimness of antiquity. As far back as the time of the 
Gauls, several centuries before the beginning of the 
Christian Era, there stood upon its site a crude fortress, 
erected undoubtedly as a barrier against the invading 
Romans. Trace of this ancient citadel can still be seen 
today in the ruins of the Chateau des Dues, a photo- 
graph of which appears on this page. From that time 
until the present, experiencing varying strokes of 
fortune, at times enjoying peace and prosperity, and 
again enduring the ordeal of siege and the horrors of 
war, the town has maintained its existence. 

In 1185 King Philip besieged the city and a consid- 
erable part of it was destroyed upon its fall. At that 
time Chatillon was considered the key to the territory 
of the Dukes of Burgundy, who made it their capital 
and lived there from the 10th to the 15th century. 
During the 16th and 17th centuries Chatillon was a 
flourishing town, being included in a list prepared for 
the king of seventeen towns noted for their commerce 
and industry. During succeeding years, however, harsh 
laws and heavy taxes ruined the weaving industry, 
which was the main source of the city's prosperity, 
and today there remains scarcely a trace of its ancient 
commercial glory. At present, Chatillon is mainh an 
agricultural community, although it possessess several 
factories, which, however, were changed into munition 
plants during the war. 

Chatillon-sur-Seine numbers approximately 5000 
inhabitants. The Great War has taken an unusually 



heavy toll of lives among its population, over 500 of 
its men having been killed in battle. During the first 
Battle of the Maine in 1914, Marshal Toffre established 
his headquarters in the city, from which he directed 
the great battle that turned the tide of the war and 
doomed Germany's armies to final failure. A picture 
of the chateau of Marshal Marmont, Due of Raguese, 
where Marshal Joffre resided during bis stay in this 
city, appears on this page. 

Many Historic Structures 

The town possesses several buildings of great historic 
interest, the most famous of which is the Church of 
St. Vorles, first built in the 7th century. We read of 
Isaac, Bishop of Langres, transporting the relics of St. 
Vorles to this church in the year 998 A. D. Bernard is 
mentioned as the builder oi the curious underground 
chapel of the church, only a small part of which now 
remains intact. Since 1597, when the Church of St. 
\ orles was rebuilt, there have been few changes made 
in it and it appears today almost exactly as it did at 
that time. 

On the hill near the Church of St. \ orles may be 
seen the ruins df the chateau of the Dukes of Burgundy. 
At one time considered one of the strongest fortifica- 
tions in France, the chateau in 1597 was destroyed by 
the population of Chatillon, infuriated at the heavy 
and cruel taxes imposed upon them by the Dukes. It 
has never been rebuilt since. The bake-shop, kitchen, 
and a considerable portion of the walls of the old 
chateau, however, are still in a fair state of preservation 
and should be interesting to visit. The interior of the 
enclosure formed by the shell of walls has been 
converted into a cemetery and the many quaint and 
curious inscriptions to be found on its tombstones 
furnish a better understanding of the history of the 
Middle Ages. 

Noted Frenchman Born Here 
Chatillon-sur-Seine claims many distinguished 
Frenchmen as her own. William Philandrier, the 
most celebrated architect of the 16th century, was 
born here, and several interesting specimens of archi- 
tecture attributed to him may still be seen in the Bourg 
section of the town. Edme Veringuet, another 
Chatillon architect, later drew the plans of modern 
Paris. Other noted Chatillonnais ranked high among 
Old World diplomats, warriors, authors, and artists, 
as the numerous streets named after them testify. 



FORCE OF HABIT 

Patterson : What did Schenck mean by giving the 
command "Squads right" before we counted off? 

Tyrrell : Ob, he's a poker player and can't get out of 
the habit of shuffling them up once in a while. 



108 » 639TH AER 

AN APOLOGY FOR THE BUCK 
A hook of a military organization would hardly be 
complete without a few contributions from the Buck; 
the backbone of the Army; the winning factor of the 
War. The most honorable rank in the Army is that 
of the Buck Private. He does the most menial work; 
he is cursed and builied by everyone. Still, through it 
all, he alone cannot lose his job. The importance of 
the Buck is fully realized by those discriminating 
historians who digress on military exploits with just 
praises to the Buck, who is invariably addressed with 
the most enviable appellations. Arches of triumph, 
statues of Victory, are "dedicated to those who fell," 
and those were our brave Bucks. 




Anyone who ha> been a member of the A. E. F. can 
tell you of the Buck in that War. After spending years 
of independence, he boldly subjugated himself to the 
utmost servility and tyranny for the sake of his 
country. He has seen his brothers in civilian clothes 
preferred to him with the luxuries of home about him. 
He has seen those who were inferior to him in civilian 
life, rise above him and direct him with the authority 
of the Government. And with the calm sobriety of 
a Locke, he has been instructed by those whom he 
could have well instructed. Perhaps his temper has 
given away when those punishments, morally unjust, 
have been inflicted by the authority of the tyrannical 
Articles of War; hut the call to his duty has again 
restored his equanimity. 

Above everything, let it be recalled with pride by 
us Bucks that in this War we have proven our un- 
bounded patriotism in offering our services and lives 
to the great cause for less than anyone. Some 
demanded and got other things. These, in many cases, 



O SQUADRON 

we believe, used their patriotism as a veil for their 
ambitions. 

Perhaps the most terrible army of Bucks were those 
in the army of Cromwell. It was here that the morale 
and integrity of the Bucks defeated autocracy forever. 
An entire regiment of the enemy would flee at the 
approach of a half dozen of these Bucks. To these, 
then, we give the credit of establishing the most hon- 
orable rank in the army, which, since that time, has 
more than held its own. In that army, a Buck was 
often known to reprimand a Colonel for cursing! This 
is the Buck's true, democratic spirit. 

The independence of the Buck has never been ques- 
tioned. It is the overwhelming passion for liberty 
that gives him this fur which we have fought. We 
have freely criticized those things which we believed 
unjust. We have never been reduced. Some of us 
(but those we admit to lie the worst part) are too 
ambitious; but these we forgive, although we cannot 
admit them to our Grand Legion of Bucks. 

It is remarkable in perusing the pages of history to 
discover the large number of great names which, at 
one time, were preceded by "Private." In order to 
understand the psychology of the Buck, history has 
proved that it is first necessary to have been a Buck. 
I lad Alexander the Great understood the commoner's 
view, Ins Empire would not have fallen to fragments 
immediately after his death; Hannibal could have 
razed Rome; Louis XIV. could have conquered 
William the Silent. Those men, if they could have 
at least experienced the trials and tribulations of the 
Buck, would have never been defeated. W e glance at 
the noble exploits of Marlborough, Ney, Murat, and 
Joffre with pride. We believe that the Great Com- 
moner, William Pitt, lover of liberty, was derived 
from the spirit of the Buck. Plato and Cato the 
Younger had been Bucks. 

But the American public knows nothing ot the 
glories of the Buck. Parents rejoice when their chil- 
dren leave the Grand Legion. These flash their ranks 
before their friends. Even the First Class Privates 
are transported with the joy of their promotions. 
People say, "He's only a Private" in a nonchalant 
manner which really conveys as strong an impression' 
as, "He's only a President." They forget the deeds 
of the Mucks; hut how our children will rejoice when 
they read the feats of the Bucks on the golden pages 
of Time. 

We, 639th Bucks, are few in number, but our spirit 
is great. We know how subservient our rank is, how 
many dirty jobs we have tackled, how often we have 
cursed those above us; but now that it is over, we 
are proud that wc were Bucks and did not desert their 
cause. A M. STACKHOUSE, 

Late Buck Private, 639th Aero Squadron. 



Se 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



109 



DUST AND DIN 
Dedicated to the lowly "Buck," with no apology 

They'll complain of mud and rain 

When they're quartered on the .Seine 
And they're resting from a day's hard, open fire; 

But when it comes to action 

They'll not "renig" a traction, 
But fight right on, those hoys who never tire. 

Here's a man who's fine of face 

With an easy, natural grace, 
And you know him for a care-free mountaineer; 

He's a diamond in the rough, 

As he'll show you soon enough 
If von ever fall foot-weary in the rear. 



The) 're clean and fine and strong, 

And if you think they're weak, you're wrong — 
They're fighting for the honor of their land; 

From the air, on land or water, 

They'll do their share of slaughter, 
For Right and Love and Honor do they stand. 

There are things we can't forget 

And we'll get the heathens yet, 
Though it won't he through the writing of a note; 

All our methods will lie clean, 

History will not quote them mean, 
For the Viper's sting they'll be as antidote. 

When the Kaiser's dreams come true 

His career will have run through 
And the Shades of Night descending, blind his course; 

He'll awaken with a start 

Just before they take his heart. 
Yet he thought he'd robbed the Devil of his force. 
Ha! Ha! 




639TH TUNNEL 

Now we come to the hole 

That goes in the hill, 
\\ here the boys are working 

Just fit to kill. 

The hole is made for protection 
From gas bombs and shell, 

And if it wasn't for this suggestion 
\\ e all would sure go to "hell." 

If the old "Boche" comes along, 
He will find us well protected, 

All together in a bunch, 

In a hole we have selected. 

The tunnel gang are sure some boys ; 

From morning 'till close of dav 
They are toiling hard with their toys, 

Thru the hill as the)' make hay. 

Their boss is very good to them, 
You hear them never talk; 

He tells them what to do 

And sees that the)' never balk. 

"TOP KICK." 



They'll storm him with barrage 

Till he cries out, "'Tis mirage!" 
As close behind him shrink his retinue; 

But our boys will .get them all 

And they'll leave them where the)' fall 
For the writhing, angry mob to run them through, 

Yi — since they're from the U. S. A. 

They'll help win the war some day; 
From their lips we'll learn just how the wounded fell 

There will be glad cries of cheer 

As we hear them drawing near, 
While the Kaiser's blood is boiled and burned in Hel 
Ha! Ha! — Anonymous. 



A DREAM 



Last night as I lay a-sleeping 

A horrible dream came to me ; 
Private Traw was commanding the Squadron, 

And Schlosser was M. S. E. 
Old "Buck" Atwell was crying out "Gimme," 

While the Lieutenant was doing K. P. 
And they fought like Hell for Libert)', 

On the hanks of the M-E-U-S-E. 



110 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 




The tfearse, 



The .sact procession 



THE SAD PART OF IT. 
An aerial collision 



9 ' 

; I 


- — £ 







Propping Flowers 




A GLIMPSE AT THE SAD SIDE 



Though fatal accidents on the Chatillon field were 
lew, they were very sad ones. Each unfortunate victim 
was interred with all the military rites due a soldier 
and possible under the circumstances of war in a 
foreign land. 

The aviator's life was a pleasantly exciting one, 
though periodical fatal crashes served as a sober 
realization to the many of the constant hazard to which 
the bird-man is exposed, even when there is no enemy 
in the air to contend with. 

What was perhaps the saddest accident at the school 
occurred near Latrecev, on February 20th, 1919. Lieu- 



tenant Gustafson, the popular Adjutant of the Post, 
decided to take a flight with Lieutenant Messer. Both 
were practically on the eve of their departure for the 
States. But Fate had ordained otherwise. 

While flying at an altitude of three thousand feet, 
Lieutenant Messer's Liberty plane collided with the 
tail of a Salmson plane piloted by Lieutenant Thompson. 
The struts of the right wing of the Liberty were torn 
out, and the tail of the Salmson was entirely cut off. 
The resultant crash caused the instantaneous death of 
all three officers. 

Captain Fritz, who also commanded the Headquar- 
ters Detachment, and an intimate friend of Lieutenant 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



111 



Gustafson, took charge of the funeral and spared no 
effort to make the ceremonies as impressive as possihle. 

The bodies were removed to the A. E. F. hospital at 
Chateau-Villain, thence to one of the school buildings 
at Chatillon. Solid oak, lead-lined caskets had been 
secured from Dijon and the bodies were allowed to lie 
in state until the time of the obsequies. Each casket 
was covered by a large American flag and almost hidden 
beneath a bovver of fresh flowers. A guard of honor, 
composed of non-commissioned officers, remained posted 
until the cortege left for the cemetery. At 2:00 p. m. 
on the 22nd, led by the Artillery band of the SI st 
Division and a company of Infantry, the procession 
left the flying field and marched slowly to the American 
cemetery at the other edge of town. The bodies were 
carried on a three-ton Packard truck driven by 
Chauffeur Whooley, assisted by Private Shove. The 
truck had had its sides removed and was draped with 
black and white. It made an admirable substitute for 
an artillery caisson. The hearse was flanked by the 
honorary pallbearers — eighteen officers — six for each of 
the deceased. Following the hearse were the mourners: 
first, a large group of officers, then the 157th Aero 
Squadron in a body, and then members of the other 
Squadrons, and a number of French citizens. 

En route, the solemn music of the band served to 



create a deep impression, and caused everyone to 
realize more forcibly, the transiency oi life. Accom- 
panying the procession, but high overhead, was Lieu- 
tenant Henricks m a 1)11-4 plane, he and his observer, 
Lieutenant Meyer, seeming to hover over the column 
on guard, while the drone of the motor sounded sad, 
rather than, as usually, combative. 

I iion arrival at the cemetery, the various organiza- 
tions were drawn up and aligned to form a hollow 
square about the graves. Chaplain Shank performed 
the last rites, and the splendid quartet of the 157th, a 
favorite of Lieutenant Gustafson, rendered "Lead 
Kindly Light." Rose petals were dropped on the 
caskets, and after each one was lowered the firing 
platoon fired a salute of three rounds, the band played 
a dirge, and the bugler sounded "Taps." Lieutenant 
Henricks, who all the while was circling overhead, 
then glided silently down, and as he passed over the 
graves. Lieutenant Meyer from the rear seat dropped 
flowers. 

The men returned to camp filled with a deep sense 
of sorrow over the loss of the popular officers, and 
flying that night was discussed as being too risky for 
a permanent occupation. Although this feeling toward 
flying soon wore off, the memory of the deaths and 
the impressive ceremonies will undoubtedly remain 
forever. 




Part of American Camp at Ourches. 639th Barracks Behind Mid'lle Tree. 



112 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



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Trials of a Poor K. P. 



SOME OF MY K. P.'S 

One day Sergeant Thompson and the touring car 
chauffeur, Hull, made their initial visit to the kitchen 
in the capacity of K. P.s, and believe me they did their 
share of the chores. Hull shoveled two tons of coal 
and cut one-half the wood as an appetizer before 
breakfast. Thompson, besides carrying the coal and 
wood into the kitchen, pumped three G. I. cans full 
of water and scrubbed several greasy pans before he 
satisfied his hunger. I was surprised to see the men 
report for kitchen police, and when 1 inquired of the 
Top Kick why these two non-coms happened to be on 
such an easy detail for Sunday he informed me that 
they reported late for retreat on the previous evening, 
and that he would see to it that all such offenders 
would receive the same penalty in the future. As far 
as I was concerned, both Thompson and Hull did their 
duty and did it well, and I can assure you they both 
enjoyed a sound night's slumber after finishing at 
7 :30 p. m. 

A few days later, our old friends, "Sixteen Franek" 
and "Parson" Davis, helped to do the chores, and 
believe me it was a scream. Franek had attended a 
dance the evening previous in a nearby town, and he 
naturally didn't feel well that day, for he hadn't hit 
the hay until 4:00 a. m. You know it was a bit 
hard for him to report at 7 :00 a. m. for K. P. Poor 
Franek! He peeled four bags of spuds, two bushels of 
onions, and one peck of carrots, besides hauling in 
two cords of wood, shoveling some coal, and scrubbing 
a dozen pans or so. After getting through with this, 
Cook Chauffeur 1st Class Hogan let him (Franek) 
scrub up the kitchen while he (Hogan) was resting 
himself. "Sixteen" said, after he finished that night, 
that he didn't think he would volunteer for K. P. 
again tomorrow, but thanked Hogan before he left the 
kitchen at 7:30, saying that he enjoyed his visit very 
much and hoped that he would meet either Hogan or 
myself sometime after we were discharged — in Chicago. 
He assured us that he would extend us a warm 
reception. I suppose he meant that he would blow us 



for a few drinks in some swell cafe in the Loop, so 
I told him I didn't drink. 

Sam Rhodes was one of the detail for K. P. one 
day. He wasn't feeling at all well, because he told 
me so when he reported for duty at 7:00 a. m. He 
said he had been up most of the night and thought he 
wanted to answer sick call at 9:00 a. m., as he would 
like to lie marked "Quarters." Since I thought he had 
been nursing a sick friend the night before I said he 
could answer sick call. You know me, I sure pity 
anyone that is sick. I also admire a fellow that will 
belli ;i s i c l< comrade. Well, Sam reported to the 
infirmary at 9:00 a. m. and came back to the kitchen 
at 9:30 a. m. marked "Duty." Poor Sam! During 
bis absence I found out that he had been up most of 
the night, all right, but not nursing any sick friend. 
Instead, be had been nursing the kitty in a poker 
game in No. 5 Barracks. When I laid eyes on him I 
put him tn scrubbing pans, pots, and garbage cans, and 
told him that it was his duty to have them all shining 
and cleaned well enough to eat from. He started 
well, but during the course of events in the morning 
my eyes were attracted to other details and I forgot 
Sam for the time being. When I glanced in his 
direction he was gone. I asked Cook Franka Paul if 
he had seen anything of Rhodes and he said, "I 'a 
Rhodesa was outa da kitch for one a hour." So 1 get 
out on Sam's trail and, after searching through both 
barracks, I found his royal highness as snug as a bug 
in a rug with bis trench shoes under his bead for a 
pillow and dreaming of Cupid and little angels. I sure 
was raving, so I grabbed Sam by the slack of the 
breeches and asked him if be thought he was on a 
vacation, or if he really understood that he could be 
court-martialed for refusing to obey orders. Poor 
Sam! I hated to do it, but I had to, and everything 
about the kitchen was looking spic and span that 
night. The boys appreciated seeing Sam on K. 1'. 
and heartily gave him the K. P. yell, which I may 
mention was composed by Sam himself and used 
many times when the Squadron paraded the streets of 
Chatillon. PETE McARDLE. 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



113 



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2nd Corps Aeronautical School. 



A BASEBALL TRIP 

When it came to sports we were always there. For wished to land. 
a while during the summer of 1918, we made regular 
Sunday trips to surrounding camps and enjoyed an 
exciting game of baseball. On the 11th of August, a 
game was to he played at Courban. Trucks had been 
arranged for to carry all the rooters over for the 
occasion. The day was ideal and a large number of 



day was 

the fellows had decided to attend. About an hour 
before the start was to be made, two Handley-Page 
planes, en route from England to Courban, stopped at 
our field, having mistaken it for the one at which they 



\ large crowd of men gathered 
around these planes in order to give them the once-over. 
Soon after they had made a landing and found out 
that they were at the wrong camp, we heard that they 
would leave them. Arrangements were at once made 
to carry eight men. Sand bags were thrown out and 
men took their places. In the meantime the motors 
had been started, and with everything running smoothly 
they took off, Hying straight to Courban, where a 
landing was made. This was one occasion when very 
modern conveyances were used for transportation to a 
baseball game. 




Visiting Handler-Page's. 



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KEY TOR/ DOLE 

I O- WHERE 6flR,YflCK BflC-S 

| WERE TfinEN OFFflNO PUT 

SACK ON SHOULDER 

V-EVEKY TIME WE WERE 
TOLO TO SHRKFL it up 

A — VERY TOUGH SOUVENIR. 
HUNTERS 



THIS TRIP THROUC-H THE 
MILL WAS TAKEN TWICE 
BY OUR, SqUflDRoH 




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639TH AERO SQUADRON 



115 



THE MILL 

At the place of embarkation 

We have a complicated mill, 
Which gets little admiration 
And gives each man a chill. 

It has won itself a name 
By the many passers h> , 

For they all go through the same 
\\ ith a curse or with a sigh. 

The purpose of the house, 
No douht lint I am right, 

Is to kill the cootie, flee and louse, 
And they surely are a fright. 

We hang out our belongings 

I pon a clothing rack. 
Everybody thronging 

To release his heavy pack. 

All equipment must he shown. 

Tlic contents of our bag 
To the inspector must be known 

As much as everv rag.- 



They pile you up a good supply 
Of this thing, and of that. 

As you are slowly passing by, 
Startled as a rat. 

You wonder what'll happen next, 

As you slowly make your pace, 
When you find yourself at last all fixed 

At your final starting place- 
Then the final scramble starts 

To get hack your old things too; 
The trouble is in finding parts 

That really belong to you. 

Going through the cootie mill 

Surely is no joke, 
Losing leggings, socks, and hills, 

And such things will provoke. 

But the thing that keeps up hope 
Is the thought of going home, 

So we take a lot of dope 
As through this land we roam. 

DAHLE. 



While our things are being sterilized 
\\ e have to take our hath. 

It almost makes one paralyzed, 
That chill from the lengthy path. 

A dozen doctors, more or less, 

Is what we have to see. 
They look us over just to guess 

What's ailing you or me. - 

With a spyglass and a microscope 
And flashlights very bright, 

The doctor seeks in faith and hope 
To find the parasite. 

As result of the inspection 

Some look very bare, 
The doctors' old suspection 

Made them cut off all the hair. 

Xew clothing is the next to come, 
Must important thing of all, 

Ami, boy, you're surely going some 
If you get a fit at all. 

The issue is the very same 
For tall men and for short, 

But since you must be in the game, 
Take it, and be a sport. 




Map of France Showing Travels of the t>:::>tli 



116 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



SH H-H- l"l 

HOLMES AND 
I L.0OPIIN6 TOR THE I 
J639TH 5QU»t>R0dV^ y 




— i sh oes y^ — *• 



Growing ' 'l>i Awaiting Orders for Home. 



Still at Genicart No. 2, 
Bordeaux, Bask Section". 
April 22, 1919. 
Dear Hawaii : — 

I spose you will be surprised when you read this and 
find I am still in France. I am sorry Han but 1 gess 
I cannot see you on May 30th as I rote in my last letter. 
When I rote that letter we had noos that we would 
leeve hear in to days hut today a officer tole me it 
might be to months. 

1 hope you are not gettin tird oi watin for me. 
Although this is the fifth date 1 had to call off, taint 
my fault. 

We thot we wood be hack for Christmas, then New 
Years, then Washingtons birthday, Easter and now 
May 30th. so I would like to make a date for 
Thanksgivin and be sure. 

Of course if I am injured or get sick I may he lucky 
and get home before this. 

Up to the presint ritin we are doin the same work. 
Pushin them thru the Cootie mill. This aint an awful 
proper subjek to rite to such a nice young lady Han 
but nevertheles its all in the war. 

Its funny as the doos to see the rookies go thru 
the mill. I am one of the inspektors and f ritin the 
life out of them. They say yes sir and no sir to me. I 
offen laff after they pass, of course I wate til they get 
out of my site cause I hate to hirt there feelins. 

Most of them have only been here from 5 to 8 
months and a bunch of them is S. O. S. men which 
means Safe or Sound. They aint been anywhere's 
near the front, but there going home toot sweet and 
eoppin all the glory. They all ask a hunch of fulish 
questions and we are there to fill them up. We even 
tell them they are to leave the nite they come in to this 
here camp and promise them 1st glass passage on the 
transport. 



A fellow cam in tother day and when 1 askd him his 
rank he tole me 11 inches. Another guy wanted to 
bring his raincote in the shower hath and still a nothcr 
was asked bis cereal number and be replied that he 
owned a farm. But just the same we are makin records 
in the time put tin them thru by tellin them if they dont 
hurrie they will loose the boat. 

They have purty good shows here but how can 1 
enjoy a show when you aint there. And just when the 
show starts we here the whistles of three boats just 
leevin for home. So you no just how rottin I am feelin. 

Theres a new hunch helpin in the mill now that have 
been in the AEF for X months. They tell us they are 
goin to do our work cause were goin home hut that is 
old bunk to me Han. 1 no this game to gosh darn 
well now. These tank men are purty good guys. One 
of them give me a pippin tother day and it wuz the 1st 
I had since I been over here. These guys have been 
drivin water tanks up around the front. You no after 
a battle theres always a lot of smoke and sut fixing 
round and these guys drives the tanks around and lay 
the dust so when we want to make a nother advance on 
Jerry everything is clear. 

A huddie of mine just come in and wanted to bet 
me 2 bucks we wood be out a here in a weak. 1 gess 
he got some good dope because its the 1st time I ever 
heard him want to bet in my life. I dont gambol not 
even shake hones cause 1 want a return the same 
straight guy as 1 was when I left you. Remember that 
last nite? Some nite, gee whiz when I got outside I 
felt like balliu m\ self. Honest Han I felt punk. 

An orderlj what works at Hedquarters just tole me 
that the boat we wuz to sail on broke her enjin in 
Xew York barber and it would take six months to get 
a new enjin. 1 am the only guy be tole this to and I 
promised I wouldnt tell anyone, but I no you can keep 
it shady. You can tell Xell and Lizzie cause tis all in 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



117 



the family and I no they wont tell. It will be now 
about the last of Septr. afore we leeve or latter and 
it takes these boats from this harber about n weaks 
to make the trip with good wether so 1 gess I will be 
to home at Thanksgiving alrite unless I here something 
oposite. 

The wether has been swell for the past few days and 



I am getin the spring Eevur. 1 never misst you as much 
as I do rite now. Just gut some news that the) wuz 
goin to close the camp down the end of may so 1 gess 
I will make that the 4th of July now. Will clos 
with lots of hapy wishes and love, 

yours 
10E. 




BRINGING. THE LAST MEMBER OF THE 
639tm SQORDROri ON BOflKD R TRANSPORT 

Sometime after 13 7-r h o. - all th e. 

OTHER MEM6£«i HAVE DIEO or OLD AGE 




orl, Lafayette. We're Still Here. 



THE CRIME OF THE RECRUITING SERGEANT 



HOW WE HAPPENED TO WEAR O. D 



The Recruiting Sergeant sees you walking down the 
street with a downcast look on your face. Right away 
he begins to smile as he says to himself, "Ha! a victim 
for me." He walks up to you with a smile and hands 
you a cigar, asks you how you are, and then gives you 
that aw fill line of his which he has learned from a 
copy sent out by I'ncle Sam. You are feeling blue. 
Your girl broke a date, or some one of the many other 
difficulties that confront the fellows of this country has 
come to you. 

The Sergeant's line, and seemingly nice ways, win 
you, and you sign up. He tells you to report there 
tomorrow at three o'clock. You report as you promised, 
take your examinations, and are then sent to some 
recruiting station, going through some more examina- 
tions and red tape. Then you say, "I DO." After that 
it is a different life, all caused by that Recruiting 
Sergeant and his Government line. Ob' the prayers 
that we have offered for him 1 

The Sergeant said, "Yes, you go to Texas, and then 



to some other sunn) climate. Just sign up for the 
aviation section and they will have you ready to fly in 
two or three weeks." Hut who inell wants to fly with 
a pick and shovel? Beware, Recruiting Sergeant! We 
will see you again ! 

His line was clever and bis offers were wonderful, 
but now that we have bad experience with both— 
beware! He might tell us that we can see the world, 
but when one is guarded on the train and if one gets 
out of one's box car, which holds eight horses or forty 
men, K. P. for a week is the penalty. If you get a 
pass to visit some nice town, the M. P.'s tell you that 
you can't go here, and you can't go there. You have 
to march along at attention all the time with your arm 
ready to salute the shavetails and on up to the north 
star. 

Oh ! we know you, so beware of whom you band 
your line and cigars in the future, or else they will 
have to blow taps before ten o'clock at night. 

SERGEA.YT YORK. 



118 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



5b &CR 





HEARD OUTSIDE 

Glendenning : Murphy, did you hear that John 
Redmond was dead ' 

Murphy: No. 

Wakefield (standing near by): Wasn't he in our 
Squadron once? 



"Pepper" Roberts says he was verj careful in voting 
for members of the Editorial Staff to vote for no 
privates, as it would take them off K. P. and Guard 
lists, therein increasing the frequency of his turn at 
those duties. 



Sergeant Paine has been decorated with two War 
Crosses.— 639th Daily News. 



Private Kennedy had his new "Nieuport" out a few 
days ago. — 639th Ihiily News. 



< haul Jaggle (on hearing the 2nd call) : Get up, 
Webster! 

Webster: If irni got up as earl} as 1 do you would 
still be a private. 



"Shorty" Gordon now has a small bat under his 
bunk and is ready to entertain all visitors at all hours; 
still he frankly admits he is a non-combatant. — 639th 
Dailv News. 



W ho is the best singer, and which is the best song 
in the outfit? 

\ enzke, and his song, "Tying the Leaves So They 
W on't ( !ome I lown." 



Glendenning: It's funny, Varney, you always use 
your left hand while eating. 

Bloom : I use mine, too. 

Holley : Yes. but the reason that you use yours is 
because your right hand is lull. 



AND THEY GAVE HIM A PILL 
Forman : I've got a pain here, Doe. What is that 
a symptom of? 

Medico: Stomach ache. 



DID YOU EVER WATCH 

"l\i|i" \ an Every fix a pair of shoes' 
"Buttes" Hallinan empty the P. C.s? 
"Gwendolyn" smoke a cigarette? 
"Roy" Hicks standing at attention.'' 
"Dad" ('ranee fall off a hay loft? 
"Screw-driver" having his picture taken in Hangar 
No. (>? 



After the final schooling of observers at Chatillon 
sur Seine, some time along in January, we were ordered 
to drill an hour each day. 

As we had not drilled for over a year, the men were 
pretty "rusty" and bad forgotten what they had been 
taught in Texas. 

We were drilling in platoons, and McBride was in 
charge of the 3rd platoon. After the common. "Platoon, 
left front into line," the platoon came into line and 
was halted. When Schenck shouted out to McBride, 
"Dress 'em up, Mae!" Mac answered, "Damn it, ain't 
the\ dressed?" 



Millett to Blough : How near is it to mess call? 
Bloug'h : It's time now. 

Millett: Hold it off a minute! (Runs and gets bis 
mess kit.) 



While at Ourches we were all glad to see our friend, 
"Doe Salts," gain a promotion to Sergeant. His pills 
evidently brought results. 



Schultz was said to carry $32,5011 worth of insurance 
He was worth some money dead, was he not? 



Shorty Peters : Every time I see a medic I want t< 
vomit. 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 

SURE SIGNS OF HOME 
Smith has a clerical jol> in Headquarters Detachment 



119 



Curren won a watch in a raffle. 

Bill Lane got his have to Paris. 

Paine lost his job with the Colonel. 

Supply Sergeant is issuing salvage clothing 



YES, HE WAS MENTIONED 
Morton: You say you've been mentioned in the 

military way. In what connection? 

Johnston: In connection with the A. W. O. I.. I 

took last month. 



HEARD AT THE DENTIST'S 
Officer (to Forman sitting in the waiting room) 
What's the trouble, toothache? 
Forman : No, sir. 
Officer : Bridge broken ? 
Forman: Haven't any, sir. 
Officer: Want your teeth cleaned, then.' 
Forman : They are clean enough, sir. 
( )fficer: What is it. then? 
Forman: Somebody said it was warm in lure. 



OH, LA LA 

Slahom : Say, Harry, did you hear about Holderman 
nearly choking to death at supper the other night." 

Shove: No, how in - — did that happen? 

Slahom: Why, he was eating a piece id corned 
willie and someone hollered "Whoa." 



HE EARNED THEM 

First Member: I dreamed I won ten thousand wound 
stripes last night. 

Second Member: How was that? 

First Member: I thought they gave me one lor every 
cootie bite. 



"Buck" Atwell of New York, busily engaged in limit- 
ing for cooties, said tu W eiuzierl : "Say, Johnnie, I 
know why dat guy Napoleon always had his picture 
took wid his hand in de front of his shoit." 



THEIR FRENCH 

"American soldiers are respectfully requested to 
address the waiters in English, as their French is not 
generally understood." 



Stickler: Say, Dan, which is correct: The hen is 
setting, or the hen is sitting? 

Stone (somewhat of a poultry fancier) : 1 soon can 
tell whether she is laying or lying. 



Stickler Bill, 1 found it. 

Lane: What, Stick? 

Stickler : The lost chord. 

Lane: Where? 

Stickler: Have you ever heard Dan Stone snore? 



We have often wondered if Francis would blush if 
he lifted up the table cloth and found that the table had 
legs. 



Franek : How do you get that way, Jay, telling the 
girl that you were C. O. today when you were on K. P.? 

Jay Jay Klema: Well, doesn't C. O. stand for Cuisine 
Operator? 



OVERHEARD AFTER PAY DAY 

Parks: What did you put away on pay night, Pete? 
Peters: A few lemonades and a grouch. 



Holley: Say, McBride, I had a hole in my pocket 
and lost a half franc. 

McBride: How much did you have in your pocket? 
Holley : A franc and a half. 

McBride: Why didn't you lose the franc also? 
Hollev: 'Cause it had more sense. 



Sennott : Say, Bill, when I came into the Army I 
weighed 126 pounds, and now I weigh Kill pounds. 

Zessinger: How do you account for that' 

Sennott: Climate, my hoy, climate. 

Zessinger: Do you know that they are building a 
business block in South Bend forty-eight stories high 
with no elevators? 

Sennott: How do they get to the top? 

Zessinger: ('limb it, my boy, climb it! 



One night at the "Y" this remark originated: 
Hogan : Say, Julson, have a cup of chocolate 

with me. 

fulson : If you don't mind, "Hash," I'll take the 

idngt cinq centimes, instead. 



Zebian: Hey, Johnnie, have you ever been abroad 
before? 

W'einzierl : Yes, many times, Zeb. I have gone from 
Bayonne, New Jersey, to New York City. 



Rastus: Come up, Sam, and get out on the deck. 
We're passin' a ship. 

Sambo: What does I cue Eoah a ship passin'. Call 
me when we pass a tree. 



What are the latest rumors around the Guard 
House, Mac? 
Mac: "All prisoners." 



120 



639TH AERO SQUADRON 



It was a hot day in Ourches and I'mlauf was behind 
the field range stirring rice and at the same time 
relieving his thirst with a bottle of cool beer, when the 
G O, walked in. Al discovered bis presence, took the 
bottle from bis mouth, and said, "It's damn hot, Lieu- 
tenant, damn hot," finishing the bottle while the 
Lieutenant looked on with envy. 



Old Kanute interested the boys around the barracks 
with stories regarding the wonderful possibilities of 
haying in Nebraska, especially in the vicinity of Cozad 
before, Shove sent an inquiry to the Cosad Daily News 
for statistics about the town. 



McGovern, lining up In 
day : "I see many misshu 



detail one fine September 
faces." 



John Gilfoy was visiting the dental infirmary. He 
sat in the big chair, had the towels adjusted properly, 
and the dentist proceeded to extract the offending 
tooth. As the molar gave way, John let out a howl 
that could he heard in Germany and jumped straighl 
out of the chair, taking the towels with him. 

"That's all right." said the dentist, calmly, "just sit 
still; von needn't stand at attention." 



The burning question which is ever before the 
American lane's mind is, why are the Yanks taking 
so many French Janes on the "line, honor, and obey" 
methods, and each and every one of our letters is full 
of news' We see such headlines as these: "The 
Yanks are in demand by the Parisian lanes," etc. But 
in my mind the question comes, "Is it right for the 
Yanks to marry French Janes.-'" Why.-' Well, because 
we came over here to fight for them and not with them. 



Blough: When the Allies stopped fighting, how did 
they know they were near Germany? 
McBride : I don't know. How ? 
Blough Because they could smell Cologne, 



It was a lew weeks before Easter and we had been 
paid several weeks before (and our pay doesn't last 
forever). This remark was overheard: 

Shannon: Say, Bevo, let's take twenty francs!' 

Burns: Sorry, Bill, but it's Lent 



The Gold I lust Twins, Sammie Bluestein and Sammie 
Recchia : 

Recchia : Say, Bluey, have you got ten Francs? 
Bluestein: In de book, I got it, yes. 



McGovern: Rhodes, 1 understand they are putting 
billiard tables in every mess hall 
Rhodes: Why? 
McGovern: So as to teach the men better English. 



W'addell : How did you like the garlic this evening? 
Sutton: I'll match you to see who gets the ,^as 
masks. 



Greims : What time is it, Sutton? 

Sutton: \ly watch has stopped; a cootie got into it. 

Greims: Fell in the spring and got drowned? 

Sutton : No, got in between the ticks and fell asleep. 

York: Say, do you know that Tiny Kennedy has 
non-coms malaria? 

Schenck: W bat's that? 

York: You eat and sleep well, but can't work. 




Goinw Aboard. 



<?Jfe 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



121 




Map of the United States Showing Where 639ersCame From 



ROSTER OF SQUADRON PERSONNEL 

(Changes before Jan. 24, 1918, not included.) 
The numbers following each name are references to photographs and writeups. 



OFFICERS 



FRITZ, CAPTAIN EMANUEL 
Commanding Officer 
928 Fresno Ave., Berkeley, Calif. 



page 66. 



GAIN, CAPTAIN OMER O. 
Medical Officer 
Dublin, Texas. 



page 66. 



SNOW, 1ST LIEUT. WINTER N. 

Supply Officer 
Mars Hill. Maine. 



page iii' 



FORMER OFFICERS 



HANSELL, CAPTAIN JOHN M. page66. 
Transportation Officer, Ourches 

Care S. B. Locke & Co., Muskogee, Okla. 

GILLETT, 1ST LIEUT. FRANK E. page67. 
Post Adjutant, Ourches 
317 Lawton Ave., El Paso, Texas. 



McKINLEY, 1ST LIEUT. LEO. G. page 67. 
Censor and Information Officer 

Care Boyd & McKinley, Keokuk, Iowa. 

MULHOLLAND, 2ND LIEUT. EMMET K. page 67. 
Assistant Construction Officer, Ourches 
1522 Second Ave., Fort Dodge, Iowa. 



RUGGLES, 2ND LIEUT. WM. B. page 67. 
Assistant Construction Officer, Ourches 
3729 Stratford St., Dallas, Texas. 



122 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 



ACKERMAN, IRVING 

Private 

UI14 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N. Y 



ENLISTED MEN 
pages 78, 79. 



pages 90, 91. 



pages 79, 82. 



ADAIR, JOHN W. 
Private 

Big Lake, Minn. 

ALLEN, GEORGE C. 
Private 
33 Enola Ave., Ivenmore, Buffalo, X. Y. 

ALLEN, JOHN I. pages 71, 72. 

Chauffeur 

I larrison, N. ^ . 

ARMSTRONG, GEORGE E. pages83,8S. 

I 'rivate 
1317 Germantown St., Dayton, Ohio. 

ATWELL, JAMES P. pages 47, 97. 

Sergeant 
417 E. 147th St., New York City. 

BARRAXS, WILLIAM T. pages 83, 85. 

Corporal 

Lenox, Iowa. 

REE, RICHARD F. pages 75, 76. 

Sergeant 

112 Magoon Ave., Med ford, Mass. 

BERDAN, FRANK pages 90, 91. 

Private 

Wood Lake, Minn 

BLOOM, FRED R. pages'68,71. 

Private 

18 Hart St., New Britain, Conn. 

BLOUGH, WILLIS C. pages 93, 94. 

Prh ate 1st < lass 

7056 Fletcher Way, Pittsburg, Pa. 
BLUESTEIN, SAMUEL pages 93, 94. 

Private 1st ("lass 

333 E. 13th St., New York City. 
B( 1LLER, EBERHARD .1. pages 79,82. 

Master Electrician (Aviation Mech.) 
712 7th St., Wausau, Wis. 
BRANDT, WILLIAM C. page97. 

Private 
South Perth Amboy, X. J. 
BUONO, VITO pages 86, 87. 

Private 1st Class 

1572 Third Ave., New York, X. Y. 
BURNS, [OHN B. pages 7, 68, 76, 77. 

Sergeant 

7 Chestnut St., Saxonville, Mass. 
BURNS, RUELL M. pages68,69. 

( !orporal 

32 Callender St, Dorchester, Mass 



BYRNE, PAUL J. pages68,69. 

Corporal 

16 Bergenline Ave., Union Hill, X. I. 

COALE, JOHN H. P ages72,73. 

Chauffeur 

51(1 Orkney Read, Baltimore, Md. 

CHILLERS, XELSOX IS. page 97. 

Private 

Enid, Okla. 

COCHRAN, CLARENCE E. pages 79,80. 

Chauffeur 

Fairfax, Okla. 

CONNOR, EDWIN E. pages92,93. 

( hanfteur 

Mangnm, Okla. 

COPELAXD, AARON pages75, 76. 

Private 
775 West Pratt St., Baltimore, Mil 

CORCORAN, THOMAS D. pages93,94. 

Private 

4443 Sidney Ave.. Chicago, 111. 

CRANCE, BOYD pages 79. SI. 

Private 

Station Xo. 1, Route 2, Ashland, kv. 

CRAXE, JOSEPH M pages87,88. 

Private 
Zwingle; Iowa. 

CUDWORTH, GEORGE T. pages 76, 7s. 

Private 
Box 38, Assonet, Mass. 

CUNNINGHAM, HARRY pages 93. 95. 

Chauffeur 
323 East Franklin St., Shelbyville, Ind. 
CURREN, ERNEST pages 79,81. 

Private 
032 High St., Grand Rapids, Mich. 

CZYSY, ALEXANDER pages 68, 70. 

Private 
128 Beaver St.. New Britain, Conn. 
DAHLE, VIGGO B. pages 87, 88. 

Private 
Starbuck, Minn 
DAVIS, FRED L. pages 90, 91. 

Private 
Burbank, Okla. 
DEMMOX, ERNEST pages 79, SO. 

Corporal 

Four Lakes Farms, Sparta, Mich. 
1>( ILLY, JOHN A. pages68,69. 

Prh ate 
812 So. 9th St., Norfolk, Neb. 



I)( >RXFA , \\ ILLIAM .1. 
Private 
1612 Sixth Ave. Watervilite, N. V 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 
page 97. 



123 



pages 71, 72. 



pages 90, 91 



ixiWDELL, MICHAEL J. 
( Chauffeur 
22 Ferguson Ave., Buffalo, X. Y. 

DUBE, CHARLES R. 
Private 
399 Birch St., Fall River, Mass. 

FORMAX, LOUIS pages 79, 82. 

Private 

Eureka, Calif. 



FRANCIS, EDV\ IX 

Private 
200 Henry St., Alton, III 



pages 93, 95. 



pages 82, 83. 



FRAXEK. FRANK E. 
Private 
5234 S. Honore St., Chicago, 111. 

FRASER, WILLIAM R. pages83,84. 

Sergeant 1st Class (Aviation Mechanician) 
Harrington, Me. 

FUGLEBERG, PAUL pages 83, 84. 

Private 

756 So. Third Ave., Sioux Falls, S. I ). 

GALTES, WILLIAM F. pages7,68,69 

Private 1st < lass 

1904 Truxton Ave., Bakersfield, Calif. 

GILFOY, JOHN T. pages 90, 91. 

Corporal 
02 Rutland St., Boston, Mass. 

CI.KXDENNIXG, GEORGE I!. pages93,95. 

Sergeant 

P. O. Box 401, Providence. R. I. 

GLYXX, RAYMOND J. pages 68, 69. 

Sergeant 1st Class 

128 Bristol St., Springfield, Mass., or 

Care Miami Paper Co., West Carrolton, Ohio. 

GNEHM, JOHN pages 93, 95. 

Private 

171 Chestnut St., Tuckahoe, X 1 . Y. 

GORDOX, FREDERICK J. pages 93, 94. 

Corporal 

12 Tanner St., Providence, R. I. 

GREIM, PAIL K. pages 90, 91. 

Private 

715 Dick St., Reading. Pa. 

HALLINAN, WALTER pages 79, 82. 

Private 
250 Schenectady Ave., Brooklyn, X. Y. 

HELXRICH, HERMAX pages 86, 87. 

Private 
89 Carroll St., Paterson, X. J. 



HICK, JOSEPH F. pages 89, 90. 

' oiporal 
52o loth \\ e., St ( 'loud, Minn. 

HICKS, ROY I.. pages 79,81. 

Private 

P. O. 124, Hicksville, L I., X Y. 

HOGAN, WILLIAM J. pages 72, 73. 

Chauffeur 1st Class 

Crown City Hotel, Cortland, X. Y. 

HOLDERMAN, CHARLES pages89,90. 

Sergeant 

1618 Cherry St., Toledo, Ohio. 

HOLLEY, RUSSELL A. pages 92, 93. 

Sergeant 

Funis, Mont. 

HOLLOWAY, JAMES 
Private 

Covington, Ky. 

HOLZ, EDWIN K. pages 76, 78. 

Sergeant 1st Class 
Mayville, \\ is 
HULL, CECIL R. pages 72, 74. 

Chauffeur 
4921 Leary Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
IMHOFF, JAMES E. pages 79, 81. 

Private 
8 Sabina Ave., Mount Washington, Md. 
JAGGLE, EDWARD H. pages 86, 87. 

( "hauffeur 

1420 Rosemont Ave., Chicago, 111. 
JESSUP, CLIFFORD pages 79, 80 

Chauffeur 
I'nion, Iowa. 
JOHXSON, OSCAR G. pages 76, 77. 

Sergeant 
805 Fifteenth St., Roekford, 111. 
JOHXSTOX, DOUGLAS pages 93. 95. 

Chauffeur 

Chase City. Va. 
JONES, DEWEY R. pages 90, 91. 

Private 

Hartford City, Ind. 
JONES, SYLVESTER D. pages72, 73. 

( hauffeur 1st Class 

232 E. 8th Ave., Conshohocken, Pa. 
JUDEIKIS, CONSTANTIXE G. pages83,84. 
Private 

10032 Indiana Ave., (Imago, 111. 
JCLSON, EDWARD T. pages 71, 72. 

Chauffeur 

Route X T o. 1, Dodgeville, Wis. 
KENNEDY, EDWARD P. pages 82, 83. 

Private 
4710 Bernard Ave., Chicago, 111. 



124 



KLEMA, JAMES J 
Private 
: 330 W. 26th St , Cicero, 111. 

KNIGHT, EZRA pages 93, 95. 

Chauffeur 
2(> Bittner Si , I )ayton, ( )hio 

KNOWLES, ERNEST \ pages 76, 77. 

Chauffeur 
410 Somerset \u., Taunton, Mass. 

KNUTSON, LLOYD II pages 76, 78. 

Sergeant 1 st (/lass 
Cozad, Neh 

LADENSON, EMANUEL J pages90,91. 

Private 1st Class 
043 So. Mli St., Philadelphia, Pa. 

LAKIN, CLARENCE M pages92,93. 

Private 1st (lass 
2318 Parkland We., Dayton, Ohio. 
LANE, \\ ILLIAM J. page96. 

Private Dt ( 'lass 
5(l(. Warren St.. Brooklyn, X. Y. 
LEAMING, WILLIAM ( i, pages 90, 92. 

( 'orporal 

5(10 Lincoln Ave., Collingdale, I 'a. 
LE BLANC, CAMILLE J. pages 72, 74. 

( Chauffeur 
_'93 Davis St., New Bedford, Mass. 
LE XT, KDW ARD I". pages87,88. 

Private 1st Class 
Narrows, \ a. 
MADISON, \LFRED S pages 68, 70. 

( 'ook 

Creston, Iowa 
VI( \RDLE, PETER F. pages68, 71. 

Sergeant 

122 Junction Ave., Corona, X. Y. 
McBRlDE, HENRY B pages93,94. 

Sergeant (Aviation Mechanician) 
Centen ilk, Tenn. 
McCOLPIN, CARL pages89,90. 

Private 
109 E. 35th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
VIcELDERRY, VIRGIL J. pages93,9S. 

( 'hauffeur 

349 Mission St., Santa Cruz, Calif. 
McGOVERN, JAMES A. pages83, 85. 

Sergeant 1 st ( "lass 

78 Bristol Road, West Somerville, Mass. 
MILLER, JOHN P. pages 72. 74. 

Chauffeur 

107 Chestnut Ave., Clifton, Staten Island, X. Y. 
MIL LETT, REGINALD C. pages 83, 84. 

Private 
222 Huntington Ave., Boston, Mass 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 
pages 82, 83 



MONCUR, J \MES E. pages87,88. 

1 'rivate 

1170 Akronian Ct , Akron, ( )hio, 

MORRIS, FORREST L. pages 83, S3. 

Private 

13S 13th St., Toledo, Ohio. 

\K >RT< i.\. CLYDE R pages68,70. 

( 'ook 

Church and Steel Sts., Salisbury, X. C. 



M( ikTo.X, RCSH 
l'ri\ ate 
Lebanon, Ind 



1 > . i ■-■ ' - S3, S3 



MURPHY, EDWARD J. pages 72, 73. 

Sergeant 1st Class (Aviation Mechanician) 
31 Gramercy Park, New York City. 

NORTON, THOMAS F. pages 7, 72, 73. 

Chauffeur 

120 Bayswater St., E. Boston, Mass. 
PAINE, RAIL I). pages 72, 74. 

( "liaulTeur 1st Class 

3826 W. Monroe St., Chicago, 111 
RALLY, ROLAND page97 

Private 

Kirkgate Market, Leeds, England. 
PARKS, JOSEPH J. pages83,8S. 

I'm ate 

Ketchum, Idaho 

PATTERSON, RICHARD II. pages93,95. 

( 'hauffeur 
9 Canal St., Brattleboro, Vt. 
PAUL, FRANK pages 54, 68, 71. 

i ook 
920 So Leavitt St., Chicago, Ml 
RAIL, JOHN W. pages 76, 78. 

( 'hauffeur 

9 Billings Ave., Med ford, Mass. 
PAVLIK, FRANK pages83,84. 

Private 
7819 Drexel Ave, Chicago, III 
PETERS, JOSEPH E. pages 93, 94. 

Private Dt Class 

2912 W. Th, mii.s,„i St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
PHILLIPS, JOE A. pages68,70. 

( ', h >k 

Care Mrs. Lizzie Mann. Princeton, Ky. 
PHOEBUS, PERCY H. pages 79, 80. 

Sergeant 1st Class 

137 Prospect Ave., Hackettstown, X. J. 
PILGRAM, HEXRY W. pages 79, 80. 

Corporal 
414 May Ave., Burlington, Iowa. 
QUINN, XICHOLAS S. pages 76, 78, 

Sergeant (Aviation Mechanician) 

174 Westford Ave., Springfield, Mass. 



RANAHAN, JOHN I-"., JR. 
Private 1st Class 

Islip, Long Island, X. Y. 

RATTAN, THOMAS E. 
Private 1st Class 

Anna, Collin County, Texas 



W 639TH AERO SQUADRON 
pages 72, 74. 



125 



pages 72, 74. 



READ, EVERETT i.M.RAY page 96. 

Pri\ ate 
46 Riverside Drive, New York < ity. 

RECCHIA, SAM pages 86, 87. 

I 'rivate 1st (/lass 
34S E. 104th St., New York City. 



REDMAX, GUY W. 
Private 
127 Chatman Ave., Elkhart, Ind. 



pages 83, 80. 



REEDER, ELMER M. pages 93, 95. 

Chauffeur 

Femvick, Mich. 
REID, CHESTER page96. 

Private 
Montank Ave., Bayside, New York. 
REIFERT, LAWRENCE pages 79, 80. 

Sergeant (Aviation Mechanician) 
R. F. I). No. 3, Curtice, Ohio. 
REYNOLDS, WILLIAM F. pages68,71. 

Private 

1618 Harland Ave, Kalamazoo, Mich. 

RHODES, SAMUEL J. page 96. 

Private 1st Class 
N2 Virginia Park, Detroit, Mich. 
ROBERTS, WILLIAM B. pages 72. 74. 

Private 
962 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
ROESCH, ALVIN .1 pages89,90. 

Private 1st Class 
2865 Lincoln St., Ada, Minn. 
ROLLO, MORRIS pages 86, 87. 

Sergeant 
572 Clinton St., Brooklyn, X. Y. 
ROSENHEIM, JAMES E. pages 17, 97. 

Private 1st Class 
42S E. 46th Place, Chicago. 111. 
ROSS, SIDNEY X 
Private 
3 Q 4 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, X. Y. 
SCHENCK, RAY pages 50, 96 

Sergeant 
180 So. Plum St., Germantown, Ohio. 
SCHILLER, ARTHUR R. pages 50. 97. 

Private 
117 S. 3rd Ave., Wausau, Wis. 
SCHLOSSER, AUGUST page 97. 

Private 

133 Kramer Ave., Payton, Ohio. 



SCHULTZ, LAWRENCE I pages83,84. 

Private 
3519 Ramsey Ave., Fort Wayne, Ind. 

SEGAR, JOHN pages 87, 88. 

I 'rivate 1st Class 
Wells, Minn. 

SENNOTT, HENRY P. pages 76, 77. 

( orporal 
3?< Townsend St., Roxbury, Mass 

SHANNOX, WILLIAM J. pages68,70. 

Sergeant 
5718 Indiana Ave., Chicago, III 

SHERBY, FRANCIS J. pages 72. 74. 

Chauffeur 

Care Miss Margaret Rielly, Eddy St., Ware, Mass. 

SHIELDS. 11 \KOLI> E. pages40,97. 

Private 

Box 72, Oakfield. Maine. 
SHOVE, HARRY S. pages 72, 74. 

Private 

10 Centenary St., Binghamton, X. Y. 
SLABOM, EARL pages89,90. 

Private 1st Class 
Voorhiesville, X. Y. 
SMITH, CHARLES F. pages 68, 69. 

Private 1st Class 

^22 Spring St., Reading, Pa. 
SMITH, THEODORE P. page 97. 

Sergeant 

Bloom si inrg. Pa. 

SXIDER, WILLI \M 
Private 

Avery Apartments, Los Angeles, Calif. 
SPARKS, BOYD pages OS, 71. 

Cook 

Station Xo. 1, Ashland, Ky. 
STACKHOUSE, ASA M. pages68,69. 

Private 

M -estown, Burlington County, X. J. 

STEEN, ROBERT T. page97. 

Private 

Irvington, Newark, X. I 
STEHR, HERMAX H. pages 87. 88. 

Corporal 

1341 University Ave., Madison. W is 
STEPHENS, WILLIAM .1. pages 72, 73. 

Chauffeur 
3607 Tampa St., Tampa, Fla. 
STEPHENSOX, LOUIE P. page97 

Private 1st Class 

R. R. Xo. 1. Prescott, Ark. 
STICKLER, CHESTER M. pages 90, 92. 

Corporal 

114 E. Bertsch St. Lansford, Pa. 



126 



STOCKWELL, CHELLIS W. 
Sergeant 
Box 98, Athol, Mass. 
STOXE, DANIEL E. pages 90, 02, 

Private 
R. F. D. Xo. 4, Attleboro, Mass 
SUTTON, THOMAS A pages 93, 94. 

Private 

Route No. 3, Falmouth, Ky. 
TAYLOR, THOMAS L. pages 79, SI. 

Sergeant 1 st Class 
Colby, Kans. 

TEMPLE, EARL C. page 97. 

Sergeant 

Hudson, low a. 
TERMINIELLO, NICHOLAS pages 7, 68, 70 

Corporal 

133 W. 98th St., New York, N. Y. 

THOMAS, FREDERICK C. pages 72, 73. 

Chauffeur 1st Class 

3 South St., Leominster, Mass. 
THOMPSON, WILFORD pages 86, 87. 

Sergeant 
321 Hamilton St., Royal Oak. Mich. 
TRAW, LEE A. page 97. 

Private 
Wister, Okla. 
TRUSSELL, JAMES W. pages 78, 79. 

Private 1st Class 

( are Star Drilling Mach. Co., Akron, O. 
TYRRELL, PARK H. pages 72, 74. 

Private 
412 Ashbury St., San Francisco, Calif. 

UMLAUF, ALFRED p'ages79,81. 

I 'ri\ ate 

304 E. 30th St., New York, X. Y. 
VAN EVERY, RIPLEY pages 83, S3. 

Private 1st Class 

R. F. D. No. 3, Rupert, Idaho. 
VARNEY, EDGAR G. pages 75, 76. 

Sergeant 1st Class 

23 Charles St., Rochester, X. H. 
YENZKE, GUSTAV pages 79, 81. 

Prh ate 
32d E. 35th St., New York, X. Y. 
V'ADDELL, CHARLES F. pages 83, 84. 

Sergeant 

4016 Parkside Ave., Chicago, ill. 
WAGNER, LeROY F. pages 90. 92. 

I 'ii\ ate 



We 639TH AERO SQUADRON 

pages 7, 87, 88. 



744' i No. 6th St., Allentown, Pa. 

ZESINGER, WILLIAM R, JI 

( ui-poral 
80S Lincoln Way East. South Bend. Ind 



WAKEFIELD, IRA C. pages 75, 76. 

Private 

Harrington, Maine. 
WALSH, ALEXANDER R, pages 89, 90. 

( nrporal 
579 Summit Ave., St. Paid. Minn 
WARRICK, ELVIN pages 79, 80. 

I 'rivate 
923 East Ave., Montpelier, Ohio. 
WEBSTER, RAY pages 87, 88. 

Private 
Humboldt, S. D. 
WEEKS, LEON I. pages 76, 77. 

( 'hauffeur 
220 Bradford St.. Pueblo, Colo. 
WEINZIERL, JOHN J. pages 93, 94. 

Sergeant 

121 W. 46th St., Bayonne, N. J. 
WEISBLL'M, IRVING B. pages68,70. 

Sergeant 1st (lass 

250 Sumner Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
W'ESTBY. LLOYD V. pages 76, 77. 

Sergeant (Aviation Mechanician) 
Maddock, N. D. 
WHITWORTH, HENRY W. pages 83, 85. 

I hauffeur 
45 Tremont St., Meriden, Conn. 
WOOLEY, JAMES pages 71. 72. 

Chauffeur, First Class 

104 33rd St., Milwaukee. Wis. 
WIDI ,ER, JAY K. pages 76, 78. 

Sergeant 

R. F. 1). No. 2, Baldwinsville, N. Y. 
WILLIAMS, THOMAS M. pages 72. 74. 

Private 
6601 Ellis Ave.. Chicago, 111. 
WITTEBORN, HARRY M. pages 86, 87. 

Sergeant 
455 Concord Ave., New York, N. Y. 
WOLFF, ADOLPH A. pages 87, 88 

Private 
69 Merchant St., Newark, N. J. 

YOHE, THOMAS F. pages 79, 80 

Private 1st < "lass 

1542 Superior, Cleveland, Ohio. 
YORK. CALEB L. pages82,83. 

Sergeant 

Silverwood, Ind. 
ZEBIAN, GEORGE J. pages 90, 91. 

Private 
Second and Philips Sts., Coaldale, Pa. 
pages 76, 77. 



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